The Music in Me
by believin'inluv
Summary: What happens when Chuck, Dan, Nate, and Carter Baizen form a band? Can they do so without killing each other first? CB and DS included throughout chapters. Based on TV show, after "School Lies." Final chapter up.
1. Chapter 1

**First of all, I want to**** thank everyone so much for reading, reviewing, and ****favoriting**** my last story! I had been skeptical about putting my stories online, but your comments made my fears disappear. Thank you so much! Oh, and to those of you who reviewed, sorry I didn't get the chance to thank you personally. I just figured out how to do that. I'm still new at this. **

**Anyway, here's my next story, and it's a chapter story! It's based on the show, right aft****er the episode "School Lies". ****Chuck, ****Dan, ****Nate, and Carter ****Ba****i****ze****n**** all form a band. ****That's right. No matter which gossip guy floats your boat, they're all in here (though clearly Chuck is the hottest, LOL)! ****How do they manage to do so without killing each other? We****ll, read on to see. NOTE: I am**** CB ****obsessed ****and a DS ****lover****, so there will definitely be a lot of drama involving them in this story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl. **

** The Music in Me: Chapter 1**

"A chorus class?! Are they serious?!"

"Serious as a heart attack." Chuck Bass looked up from the fluorescent yellow sheet of paper that he held in his hands and looked at his best friend. His dark brown eyes glared in anger.

"My father pays so much money to send me to this school. The least they can do is teach me something worthwhile." Nate Archibald smiled, his blue eyes amused.

"Chuck, it's not like you care about school anyway."

"Exactly! In a normal class I can just fall asleep or daydream. Now they're going to expect me to actually participate." Chuck's eyebrows formed into a scowl, and his mouth twitched downward into a moping frown. "This sucks."

The boys at St. Jude had just come from an assembly, at which it was announced that they were required to take a Chorus class. The girls at Constance Billard were being forced to do so as well, except that they were looking forward to it.

"It will teach you boys how to use your voices for something besides complaining," the headmaster of St. Jude's had said. "Plus, you will be more involved in the arts by singing."

"Arts? I thought arts were paints and Michelangelo," Chuck commented to Nate.

"No, it has other categories," Nate quipped. "Music can be included." Chuck rolled his eyes, adjusting his scarlet and gold scarf behind his neck as he did so.

"I don't even care. It's not something I'm going into." Chuck began to walk away and threw the yellow sheet--which stated the chorus class's purpose--in a nearby garbage can. Nate ran to catch up with him.

"I think it will be fun," Nate commented. "I mean, it's only singing. Singing isn't all bad." Chuck pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter.

"Singing is for girls and whimpy men," Chuck said bitterly. He pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit it as Nate watched. They stopped walking and Chuck leaned casually against the brick wall of Saint Jude's.

"I'm just saying that maybe we should make the best of it. I mean, there's nothing we can do. They'll make us take the class whether we like it or not," Nate said. Chuck took a puff of the cigarette, which he held between two slender, pale fingers. He blew out the white smoke and smirked fiendishly. His dark brown eyes gleamed as he talked.

"You forget, Nathaniel. We have something called 'money.' Money solves everything."

Dan Humphrey was sitting nearby, reading a book. He had been deeply engrossed in a chapter when he had smelt tobacco. He turned around and saw Nate and Chuck standing nearby.

"Hey, can you guys give yourselves lung cancer somewhere else?" Dan called out. The two looked at him, and Chuck let out a hearty laugh.

"Sometimes you're such a comedian, Humphrey." Chuck purposely took another puff and blew out more white smoke. Dan winced as the scent filled his nostrils but he said nothing. Chuck pressed his back against the wall and crossed his beige-panted legs. He looked at Dan with curiosity, while Nate's eyes signaled for Chuck not to start anything. "So Humphrey, what do you think of this chorus class?" Chuck called out.

Dan had turned back around and tried to read his book, ignoring him. Chuck smirked.

"Fine, don't answer. I'll just assume that you love singing as much as your sister does." Dan's younger sister Jenny was in the acappella choir at Constance. Dan turned back around and glared at Chuck.

"I can't believe you know everything about my sister. You're such a creep." Chuck answered with a cocky smile.

"I know everything about everyone, Daniel. You should remember who you're talking to."

"You mean the guy who I punched and made bleed?" Dan asked. Chuck's face fell as Dan grinned with glee. He was obviously proud of himself. Chuck tossed his cigarette to the ground and stepped it out with one black shoe. Then he began to walk over to Dan, anger and embarrassment displayed in his eyes.

"Alright Humphrey, enough bringing that up. We're finishing this now!" Nate ran over to his best friend and grabbed his shoulder roughly.

"Chuck, not here! Come on!" Nate pleaded. Dan still smiled proudly. Suddenly, the bell rang.

"Time for my next class," Dan said. He picked up his books and walked away, still smiling.

"Yeah, you better walk away!" Chuck sneered. Nate looked at Chuck with obvious anger, though when he spoke his voice remained calm.

"You always get into spats with him. It's so embarrassing. Not only will the headmaster catch you one day, but Gossip Girl might be watching."

"You care too much about what people think," Chuck said with a sharp tone. Nate's eyes looked angered and earnest.

"Chuck, I mean it. Knock it off." Chuck grinned in a cocky manner.

"No one tells me what to do, Nathaniel. You know that." Nate shook his head as his best friend strut away, scarf and all.

Weeks went by, and St. Jude's chorus classes didn't cease. Chuck's father, Bart Bass, had spoken with the headmaster; however, since Chuck was such a bad student, the headmaster didn't listen. Bart Bass had come home that evening with a scowl and disappointed comments toward his son.

The teacher of the class was Mr. Smith. A middle-aged man, he had graduated with a degree in music. He was a very strict man. He ran his classes with much discipline, and didn't allow any fooling around. Chuck had discovered this the hard way.

"Charles Bass, what are you doing?" Mr. Smith had asked one day.

"I'm just listening to you talk about notes," Chuck lied. Chuck was such a convincing liar that usually everyone believed him. Mr. Smith, though, continued to stare at him unconvinced.

"Give it to me."

"What?" Chuck asked.

"Give to me what you were passing to Mr. Archibald."

"I wasn't passing anything." Chuck decided to make off with a threat. "If you're accusing me of something I didn't do, my father will have his lawyers all over you and this school."

"Give me the condoms, Mr. Bass." Everyone's mouths dropped open, even Dan's. Chuck looked at the teacher in puzzlement before standing up and going to the front of the class. He handed the box to Mr. Smith before turning around and walking back to his seat. He heard a few snickers, but he didn't care. He thought it was actually better to give Mr. Smith the condoms then give them to Nate and think about Blair being with him.

That incident had happened back a few weeks ago. Mr. Smith had announced that the chorus classes for all levels were going to have a concert and sing different songs. The concert would count as a grade and anyone who didn't show up would be penalized. When Chuck heard this, he whispered to Nate:

"I think being forced to go sing at a concert is punishment in itself." Mr. Smith had seen him whispering, and had given him a detention.

Chuck, Nate, and Dan's class were assigned to sing two songs: "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" and "In the Ghetto" (Elvis Presley). They had practiced during class, and Mr. Smith had been very hard on how the different parts sounded. What was worse, he seemed to pick out just from where each mistake was coming from.

"Nate, don't go so high on the chorus. Jacob, you were off-key throughout the second verse. Patrick, open your mouth wider. Chuck Bass, PAY ATTENTION!"

One day after class, the bell rang and Mr. Smith turned to Dan.

"Daniel Humphrey, may I see you for a moment?" Dan nodded as he picked up his books, and all of the boys made immature "ooooooohhhh" sounds as they exited. Chuck pulled Nate over by the doorway.

"Man, we gotta get to class!" Nate said. Chuck put a finger to his lips.

"I want to see what Humphrey's in trouble for."

Dan walked over to Mr. Smith's desk. He wondered what he did wrong.

"Yes, Mr. Smith?"

"Mr. Humphrey, you have been a perfect student ever since the first day of class. You not only do the best out of all the boys on your tests, but you are always a very enthusiastic singer with a voice that is constantly on-key." Dan smiled.

"Music is just my thing, I guess. My dad was in a band."

"He was? Well, do you play any instruments, Mr. Humphrey?"

"I know guitar from my dad, but I don't have my own. I know a little bit of drums too, but not a whole lot."

"Have you ever considered being in a band of some sort?" Mr. Smith asked. Dan's eyebrow rose as he thought.

"No, not really. I love music but it was really more of my dad's thing. I'm more the artist of the family."

"Well, music is a form of art." Mr. Smith smiled. "You should consider doing some more work with it. I think you have a future in it." Dan smiled. Could he really follow in Rufus' footsteps? He decided it was worth a try.

"Thanks, Mr. Smith." Dan walked to the door and swore he saw the heads of a brunette boy and blonde boy running away.

Dan made plans, and although he wouldn't have known, he was the new biggest topic on his most hated site.

**Hey Upper East ****s****iders! ****Gossip Girl here, with some big news.**** Remember our favorite ****lonelyboy****? Truth has it that he's going to start his own band. He's holding tryouts after school this Friday in the St. Jude's auditorium. I guess ****lonelyboy**** wants his own fame, not just the kind he gets by dating Serena Van ****Der****Woodsen****. But will his band be the biggest thing in music since the Beatles, or just a waste of a concert ticket? U ****know**** u love me. **

**XOXO**

Dan was excited about his band, and proud of himself. He had asked the headmaster if he could hold his auditions at St. Jude's, and after seeing Dan's perfect record, the headmaster fully agreed. Dan had already chosen his agent: his girlfriend Serena Van Der Woodsen.

"I know people!" she had exclaimed when Dan told her his idea. "Or I should say, my mom knows people that can help you out."

"Thanks, but I'm sure my dad can help. He _was _an old band guy," Dan had said.

"Well, I still want to help! Let me be your agent or something. I can totally provide the finances, too," Serena had begged. Dan could never say no to her, so he had agreed. He also couldn't say no to his best friend, Vanessa Abrams.

"You'll need a manager," she had said. "Plus, I can totally do music stuff." Dan knew that, so he had allowed her on his team. The only problem then was finding band members.

"Just don't pick anyone rotten," Jenny had advised him. "It will be hard to work with them."

"You'll be fine, son," Rufus had also encouraged. He seemed to be happier lately that his son was taking the course in life that he had taken himself.

On the Friday of the tryouts, Dan walked into the St. Jude's auditorium with a backpack, a notebook and pen, and a very shocked expression on his face. _Everyone _was there. Guys and girls, young and old, freshmen and seniors. It seemed like everyone wanted a chance. Dan took a seat at a podium chair and allowed it to begin.

A great number of guys from St. Jude's and girls from Constance had shown up. While many had good voices, they couldn't play instruments.

Blair Waldorf came and played what little piano she knew. Serena had told her about Dan's band and, while she didn't want to be near Cabbage Patch, Blair figured that if everyone else was going to be at the tryouts that she should be too. Dan told her she was good at piano, except that it would be a rock band and a classical piano isn't exactly in a rock band. Blair left the auditorium in a huff.

Kati and Isabel had come in matching black outfits and danced. Dan then had to remind them that they were auditioning for a rock band and not "Dancing with the Lonelyboy."

When Dan looked at his watch, it was five thirty. He still had not found the right people. He had found no one, in fact. Either everyone had one talent and not the other, or they didn't grasp the idea of a rock band.

_"Maybe I should have done this in Brooklyn," _Dan thought. _"Where everyone isn't so rich and actually knows what I'm envisioning." _

"Can I go next?" asked a voice. Dan looked up and saw the last person he'd expect to see trying out: Nate Archibald. Dan raised an eyebrow. Sure, he expected Blair just to tryout because everyone was there, but Nate?

"Um, sure." Dan flipped a page of his notebook and picked up his pen. He looked up at Nate and saw nervousness in his eyes. "So, what experience do you have with music?"

"Well, I learned music notes when I was little, and now I'm in your chorus class," Nate said, as if Dan didn't already know.

"Let me hear you sing," Dan said. Nate cleared his throat nervously, then sang a segment from "Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi.

"Everybody needs somebody to love…everybody needs somebody to love…" Nate sang in high tenor. Dan hadn't listened to Nate sing in class very much, but his voice wasn't bad. It sounded like it could be trained to be better as well.

"Okay, that's good," Dan said to stop Nate. "Not bad. Can you play an instrument?"

"No." Dan sighed. He was about to cross Nate's name off of the list when Nate suddenly pulled out a notebook from behind his back. "Look, I know I can't play an instrument now. But I can learn. And I can write." Dan looked at Nate, shocked. He actually seemed like he genuinely wanted to be in the band. Nate walked over to Dan and handed him the notebook he was holding. It had a green cover and looked neat. "I heard that you like to write, but I was thinking maybe I could help for when you have writer's block."

Dan opened it and looked inside. In the notebook were many songs, all with titles. Dan's eyes grew wide. Nate wrote songs?

"When did you write all of these?" Dan asked.

"Over the years. I didn't mean for them to become songs. I guess I was just thinking and writing down what I thought and somehow I discovered they rhymed." Dan looked up at Nate again. How could this guy, who normally wasn't very expressive, write so many heartfelt songs?

"Why do you want to be in the band so bad?" Dan asked. "You and I come from completely different worlds. We have different perspectives on life. Why would you want to help me make this band a success?" Nate pondered for a moment.

"I've been really liking the chorus class, and I have always loved music, so I think this could be my chance to do something with it. I don't care that you're the band's leader or whatever. I'll help however you want me to." Dan thought about it for a moment. He almost laughed at himself, for he was putting Nathaniel Archibald in his band. Dan thought about what Serena would say. They had such a history, but then again, that was behind them. After all, it was _his _band.

"Welcome to the group," Dan said. Nate's eyes went wide.

"Really?! You mean it?!" he asked. He was obviously in shock. Dan nodded.

"Yeah, if you're willing to give it a shot."

"Definitely!" Nate said with a smile. "Thank you!" Dan smiled too, seeing that he had made Nate extremely happy. He still didn't know why he was letting Nate in. He didn't know how much Nate would catch on. But something told him to just give the boy a chance.

"Here, give me your contact information," Dan said. Nate wrote down his name, phone numbers, and address and gave it to Dan. "Great. Um…our first meeting…I'll give you a call and let you know the details." Nate's blue eyes glistened with happiness.

"Yeah, thanks again!" he said before turning away and leaving. The people behind him rolled their eyes. It was obvious the pretty boy role had been taken. Dan knew what they were thinking, and made a promise to himself to make Nate get a mullet.

The next time Dan looked at his watch, it was seven twenty. There were only two people left auditioning, and Dan hadn't found anyone besides Nate to complete his group. Dan figured he probably would have to go to Brooklyn. If push came to shove, he always had Vanessa to back him up.

Dan turned the one freshman boy with the flute away and looked at his final applicant. He was a tall man with dishwater blonde hair. He wore a dark blue shirt with a black jacket and matching pants. He carried a briefcase, which Dan thought was odd. He looked young, maybe early twenties. The man smiled and approached Dan very suavely.

"You don't know me," the man said. Dan raised an eyebrow.

"No, I don't believe we've ever met." The man smirked, and somehow Dan was reminded of Chuck.

"Not personally," the man continued. "However, I believe we danced at the same place…with the same woman." Dan thought for a minute, and then it hit him: the Cotillion. Serena had gone with this man as a backup before Dan came to her rescue. Dan looked at the man with an open mouth.

"Yeah, I remember now. What do you want?"

"To tryout, of course. This is the right place, right?" He seemed to drag out the word "place." Dan shrugged and picked up his pen. This would be interesting.

"Full name?" Dan asked.

"Carter Baizen." Dan examined Carter more closely, and saw that his hair was spiked up slightly. He had moss green eyes that could be mistaken to be light brown. He also had some stubble on his cheeks, like he had not shaven for a while. Dan nodded and looked back down.

"Age?" Dan asked. It wasn't a necessary question.

"Twenty-one."

"Music experience?"

"I've been traveling around the world since I graduated from this very school. In that time I picked up a few tricks and talents, including how to play the drums." Dan smiled. He _did _need a drum player.

"Can you sing?"

"You decide." Carter put his briefcase down and drew in a breath. Then he began to sing a segment of "Savin' Me" by Nickleback.

"Show me what…it's like…to be the last one standing…teach me wrong…from right…and I'll show you what I can be…"

Dan labeled Carter as a low tenor.

"That's good," Dan said, cutting Carter off before he started a different verse. Carter _did _have a good voice. Dan looked back down at his notes. "Why do you want to be in this band?" he asked. Carter sighed.

"I'm going to be home for a while. I've ran into some financial troubles. I guess you could say that I'm here for the experience."

"What else can you bring to the group?" Carter smiled.

"I know your kind. You know a certain type of music, but you live in a world where others don't know squat. I've had many experiences with many different kinds of people. I can help them get into it, and therefore helping you." Dan found it funny how people always thought they knew him. He looked over his notes, then looked back up at Carter.

"I think you fill the qualifications," he said. Carter's expression stayed serious.

"So I'm in?" Carter asked. Dan thought for a minute. He didn't know Carter very well, but he seemed pretty straightforward. Dan only thought of Serena, and hoped that Carter didn't have a thing for her. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, Dan gave a single nod.

"Sure." A small smile formed at the corner of Carter's lips. He had got what he wanted.

"Alright then," he said.

"I'll need your contact information," Dan said. Carter wrote it down. "I'll call you and tell you about the first meeting."

"I'll see you then," Carter said. He turned on his heels, picked up his briefcase, and made his exit as abruptly as he had made his entrance.

Dan sighed tiredly as he stood up. The turnout had been well, but he hadn't found all of his band members. He needed at least one more person, and he didn't feel like sending tryout information to restaurants and poetry houses in Brooklyn. He knew that being the band leader was not going to be easy.

He picked up his notes, pushed in his chair, and left the dark and empty auditorium. He hadn't had a chance to grab his backpack, so he decided to run to his locker and get it. Dan walked through the narrow hallways, a little creeped out by the eerie shadows and silence that surrounded him. His school was usually loud and filled with activity. Now it was barren and resembled a scene out of a horror movie.

"Hello darkness, my old friend…I've come to talk with you again…" Dan sang to get his mind off it. He breathed a sigh of relief when he got to his locker--and nearly slapped himself when he realized that he had forgotten his gym uniform in his gym locker. He had to take it home and wash it over the weekend.

"Are you kidding me?!" Dan asked himself aloud. He closed his locker and nervously sang all the way to the St. Jude's gym. He walked across the gym and opened a door that led to the locker room and showers. Lucky for him, some careless person had left the door unlocked.

Dan had stopped singing as he looked though the row of lockers, trying to find his. He finally did, and he suddenly heard water running. Dan looked up, surprised. Was there still someone in the building? He then heard a low sound, as if someone was humming.

Dan turned to his lock and began to turn the combination to open it. That was when he heard a low voice begin to sing.

"As the snow flies…" Dan looked around once more, wondering if he was being followed. He wasn't. The sound of the water from a shower stall continued to flow, just like the deep voice.

"On a cold and grey Chicago mornin', a poor little baby child was born, in the ghetto…" Dan recognized the song. He had to sing it for his chorus class. It wasn't the voice of one of his classmates, though.

This voice was smooth, low, captivating. It was like nothing he had ever heard before in his life.

Dan finally got the locker open and grabbed his gym uniform. He closed the door quietly, not wanting to interrupt the voice.

"And his mama cried…" Dan began to walk slowly out of the row of lockers and peered down the way that led to the showers. No one was there. He continued to walk, nearly on tiptoe.

"Because if there's one thing that she don't need, it's another hungry mouth to feed, in the ghetto…" Dan couldn't get over the sound. He had never heard anyone sing like that. Not even the classical guys he sometimes heard on the radio had such a flowing voice. He was dying to know who it belonged to, and if he knew the person.

Dan turned the corner, and suddenly the water shut off. He stopped for a moment, but the voice kept on going. Dan was afraid to breathe; afraid he would stop the sound.

"People, don't you understand…the child needs a helping hand…or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day."

Dan reached the showers and walked through the rows, detecting that the voice was farther away now.

"Take a look at you and me…are we too blind to see…"

Dan rounded the bend and stopped short. His eyes went wide and a shiver went down his spine. He nearly collapsed.

_"No f-__ing__ way…"_

The back of Chuck Bass faced him. Chuck was facing the mirror, doing what Dan couldn't tell. A sink was under the mirror, and Dan saw a bottle of expensive cologne on the sink's rim. Dan looked back at Chuck in disbelief. It had to be him. There was no one else in sight.

"Or do we simply turn our heads and look the other way…" Chuck sang again, confirming Dan's suspicions. Chuck stopped and looked from side to side, as if he were sensing something. He looked up slowly and gasped as he saw Dan's reflection in the mirror behind his own. Chuck quickly turned around, grasping the bathroom sink with one hand and the white towel tied loosely around his waist with the other. In his startled state he knocked over the cologne bottle, which shattered to pieces on the floor. Dan blinked, startled out of his shocked daze.

"Humphrey! What the hell?!" Chuck exclaimed. Dan took a few deep breaths, trying to slow the rapid beating of his heart. First he had heard an incredible voice, then he found out that voice belonged to Chuck, and then the bottle fell…it was too much to take in all at once. Chuck was angered, his nostrils flaring.

"Do you always come into the men's locker room this late at night?!" Chuck shouted. "Hoping for a free show or something?!" Dan regained his composure, and he decided it would be best to explain himself.

"I'm sorry. I just--"

"What are you even doing here?" Chuck asked. Chuck had calmed himself down, and was now prepared to demand answers. Dan sighed, knowing Chuck would think that Dan had some motive for something.

"I was here for my band's auditions," Dan said. Chuck looked to the side for a moment, then looked back at Dan. He seemed confused. "I'm starting a band. I put flyers all over the school telling people to come to the auditions."

"Oh yeah. Gossip Girl said something about that. Not that I really paid much attention to anything related to you," Chuck said. Dan frowned, his blood beginning to boil. So that was why so many random people had showed up earlier. How he hated that damn website. Chuck was back to his cool, collected self. He stood against the sink, his arms crossed over his muscular and wet chest. His eyelids lowered and he smirked.

"Did anyone show up?" he asked, expecting "no" for an answer.

"Yeah, lots of people. Including your good buddy Nate Archibald." Chuck's face fell.

"Nathaniel came to try out for _your _band?"

"Oh, he did more than tryout. He made it. I admitted him." A look of pure disgust formed on Chuck's face. He shook it off, looking back at Dan with questioning eyes.

"It lasted this long?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah," Dan said, nodding. "I came here to get my gym uniform to bring it home for the weekend, and then I heard you singing." Chuck leaned his head back, as if stretching his neck.

"Wow, I knew I was bad, but not bad enough to attract attention," he said. Dan's eyes widened.

"No! No, it was actually the opposite. You sounded amazing." Chuck put his head back down and looked at Dan with questioning, shocked eyes. They pinned Dan, as if Chuck wanted to know why Dan was complimenting him. Taken aback by his response, Dan spoke again. "Incredible?" He said it as a question, as if Chuck had not liked the phrasing of his first kind words. Chuck continued to look at Dan the same way. Suddenly he smiled a little and laughed through a closed mouth, although his eyes did not change.

"Good one Humphrey, good one. Like I said before, you're a true comedian at times." Chuck ran a hand through his dark, wet hair, messing it up slightly. Dan swallowed hard, a little upset that he wasn't being taken seriously.

"Chuck, I may not be rich or drive fancy cars, but I do have a quality many rich men don't: honesty. I always mean what I say. You sounded amazing." Chuck crossed one strong leg over the other and he leaned against the sink. He propped himself up to sit on it with muscular arms. His smile had faded, and he looked at Dan with concern.

"You're being serious," Chuck stated.

"Damn right. How come you never sing like that in class?" Dan asked.

"I just don't sing at all in class. Or any time…other than a few minutes ago," Chuck said. Dan smiled, loving the embarrassed look on Chuck's face.

"You should do it more. Then again, you probably could be better at school if you studied more. You'd probably do better at life if you tried more," Dan said. Chuck's eyebrows lowered in annoyance.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture on how superior you are to me, Humphrey. Not only would you waste your breath but you would be lying." Dan rolled his eyes. Sometimes he couldn't believe Chuck's attitude. It was almost like he wasn't human at times.

Chuck hopped off of the sink and turned away from Dan, looking at himself in the mirror. He ran his fingers through his hair again, straightening it out. Dan turned, ready to go. He didn't know why Chuck was there but he didn't want to stick around and ask.

"So I was good, hunh?"

Dan turned back around. Chuck did not face him but Dan could see the reflection of his dark brown eyes in the mirror. They were looking straight at him.

"Yeah, you were." Chuck's lips formed an arrogant smile, then he looked down. "So what were you doing here?" Dan asked. Maybe he was more curious than he thought he was. Chuck turned his head to the side and looked at Dan.

"Do I have to explain myself?" he asked.

"It would be nice. I told you why I was here, after all."

"Fair enough." Chuck turned and looked at Dan again, the knee-length white towel pressed firmly against his thighs. Dan had never thought Chuck was very well-built, but after seeing him like this Dan found himself growing jealous. Chuck grinned, taking pride in what he was about to say. "I had to serve five one-hour detentions."

"Fun," Dan said sarcastically.

"I got sick during one of them. My stomach wasn't feeling so hot."

"Have you been catching something?" Chuck's eyes looked downward.

"No, it was something hanging over my head."

"What's been bothering you?" Dan asked. Chuck looked at Dan, his eyes cold. He was getting defensive.

"I'm not telling you everything," he snarled. Dan didn't flinch at the tone in his voice. He knew Chuck's mannerisms. Chuck looked down again, less agitated. "When I finished it was about seven fifteen. I have somewhere to be at eight, so I realized I wouldn't have time to go home and get ready. So I just grabbed one of the towels out of the gym closet and showered here." Dan looked at his watch. It was seven thirty-five.

"Where do you have to be?" Dan asked. Chuck smiled devilishly.

"It's a Friday, Humphrey. I'm off to my usual routine places," he said smoothly. Dan rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe that someone like Chuck was going to be Serena's stepbrother.

"What a life you lead," Dan said. Chuck smirked.

"I think the same about you." They stood there for a few minutes in silence. Chuck suddenly drew in a breath. "Well, I'm going to change, so unless you want to compare sizes, I suggest you leave." Dan shook his head, unbelieving what he had just heard.

"Whatever, Chuck." Dan turned and walked around the bend again. He was halfway down the row of shower stalls when he stopped. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about how good Chuck's singing voice was. He needed something like that for his band.

_"Oh my God, you're crazy. He would never do it. And even if he did, you two would fight all the time. He would never listen to you." _Dan's mind told him. _"Then again, Nate is doing it. Chuck may do it if Nate's doing it. Plus, the life of a rock star might sound appealing to him…"_

He thought of Jenny and Serena, and what they may think. Then again, they wouldn't be anywhere near him if the band was practicing.

"Chuck?"

"What?!" Chuck called out from the sinks, annoyed.

"Will you be in my band?" Dan couldn't believe the words he had just spoken were directed at the one boy in the school who he loathed. There wasn't a response. Suddenly Chuck appeared at the end of the row, dressed in nothing but his boxers.

"What did you say?" he asked in disbelief.

"You know what I said. So will you?" Chuck stood as still as a statue as his mind processed the question. His mouth was suspended open and would probably be on the ground if it was not fastened to his jaw. It was quiet for so long that Dan was taken by surprise when Chuck started laughing.

"What is wrong with you?!" Chuck asked. Dan was taken aback, insulted.

"Excuse me?!" he asked. Chuck took a few breaths to calm himself.

"It's just too funny. Do you even remember who you're talking to?! The son of a billionaire. The guy who tried to date rape your younger sister. The guy who everyone rolls their eyes at. And you want me in your band?! You'd have to be insane!" Chuck exclaimed. Dan smiled. He was actually expecting Chuck to say, "I wouldn't be seen in a band with you if you were the next John Lennon."

"Oh, and for the record, I wouldn't be seen with you in a band if you were the next John Lennon," Chuck said. Dan wanted to bust a gut laughing, but instead he just shrugged.

"Alright then, just wondering. I think you'd enjoy it, though. I mean, the life of a rock star is all about money and drugs and random sex. Wait, maybe that's the last thing you need." Chuck heard this and suddenly grinned widely.

"Who says it is?" he asked.

_"Like a fish to the worm," _Dan thought.

"So you'll do it, then." Dan said. It was not a question. Chuck smiled, accepting the challenge. He was Chuck Bass, after all. He wasn't going to back away from anything, especially when he got something out of the deal.

"I suppose so. It will, after all, give me a good laugh when the band comes crashing down because of my horrible voice and lack of musical skills."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Dan said with a cocky smile. He wasn't going to let Chuck's words bring him down. He didn't have to get any contact information either, since Chuck lived in the same building as Serena.

"So I'll see you at the Palace?" Dan asked. Chuck's trademark smirk was larger than normal. This would be the biggest laugh he would have in his whole life.

"I'll see you at the Palace," he said. They both turned around and walked away, each feeling like they had won.

**Hey Upper East ****Siders! ****Gossip Girl here.**

**Spotted: S and D having lunch at a classy place in little Italy. They seemed to be having a great time--until D leaned in and told S something she obviously didn't like. S****he walked away in a fury of anger ****and what looked like disbelief. What could D have done? Guess we'll have to wait and see. **

**N going into an expensive music store, I wo****nder what that's all ****about? ****B receiving flowers on her doorstep, were they from N?****C spotted going home to the Palace alone…on a Fri****day night! What's up with C lately? Maybe he's come dow****n with something as bad as him****. Whatever's going on with everyone, I'll find out first. ****Y****ou know you love me. **

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here****'s the next chapter, thanks to all who reviewed! Keep ****em****' coming, guys! This chapter is the beginning of the intense, addicting****, hot**** drama that is ****CB, as well as some f****luff**** with DS. Hope you'll like it!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass would be all mine and we'd never leave the bedroom. Enough said. **

**The Music in Me: Chapter 2**

Serena Van Der Woodsen hadn't had a moment of crisis lately, and she had been thankful for that. Ever since she had begun dating Dan Humphrey, things had been so perfect…with him, at least. Now, everything was shot to hell in the blink of an eye.

She had been so happy when Dan told her that he was starting a band. Serena was so excited for him that she had insisted on helping. Whatever Dan did amazed her. He was the artist, the man who wasn't afraid to try new things. She was overjoyed that he was experimenting with music, and wanted to be there for him like he had always been there for her.

That was before Dan told her the people that he had chosen to be in his band.

They had been on a lunch date on a sunny afternoon. Dan had wanted to take Serena to Little Italy, and Serena had gladly agreed. She hadn't been there in such a long time, and she was thrilled to be going with Dan. But when they sat down for lunch at a small restaurant and Dan told her the names of his other band members, Serena was out of there before Dan could say "gelato."

Why did he have to pick them?! Out of all the men in New York, out of all the people that came to the tryouts, why did her boyfriend have to choose the three men she had the most drama with throughout her whole life?! She just didn't understand it. She especially didn't want to go to a concert and see her ex-lover, her perverted step-brother-to-be, and her one night stand up on stage.

Serena had been surprised at the three boys as well. She didn't know Chuck could sing or that Carter played drums or that Nate…what Nate even did she couldn't remember. After their little fling that almost cost Serena her best friend and her boyfriend, she had tried to drown Nate out of her thoughts as much as possible.

The whole thing bothered Serena so much. It occupied her mind lately, even when she didn't want it to.

"S, what's wrong? You haven't touched your salad." Serena shook her head slightly, coming out of her daze. She looked around as if she had forgotten where she was, then turned to her best friend Blair Waldorf, who had asked the question.

"Sorry B, I'm a little out of it," Serena replied. She picked up the fork next to her plate and began playing with the lettuce leafs on her plate. Blair looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll say you're out of it. You haven't started smoking pot again, have you?" Blair asked. Serena shook her head slightly, her eyes not moving from her plate. "Is it your mom and Bart? That would make me really depressed." Serena sighed. The last thing she wanted to think about was her mom and Chuck's dad getting married at this moment. As if she didn't have enough to deal with.

"No, it's…" Serena looked up at Blair, who hung onto her every word. "It's Dan." Blair's eyes immediately lost their fascination with Serena's words. She looked down at her lap glumly.

"For a minute, I thought it was something important." Blair took a sip of her water before asking, "So what has old cabbage patch done now? Wrote you a bad poem?" Serena smiled a little at the corners of her mouth. The smile immediately faded.

"Do you remember Dan's band?" Blair chewed the vegetables in her mouth and looked baffled. "You went to try out?" Serena asked.

"Oh yeah. God S, don't expect me to remember everything."

"Well…he chose his band members. And no one else knows it but me."

"Who?" Blair asked nonchalantly. She looked down again, not caring. Serena sighed and crossed her arms. This wasn't going to be easy to hear.

"Nate."

"Nate!" Blair immediately jolted upright at the words. "Why wouldn't Nate tell me he was trying out for cabbage patch's band?! And that he made it?!" They were back together, after all. They weren't supposed to be keeping secrets from one another.

"It gets worse," Serena said. Blair looked at her best friend, interested in the conversation again.

"Carter."

"Carter Baizen?"

"Yep."

"He's still hanging around here?"

"Yep."

"I don't see anything wrong with that." Serena gave Blair a hardened look, and Blair nodded slowly, remembering Serena and Carter's history. "Who's the third member?" Serena bit her lip.

"Chuck."

Blair dropped the fork she was holding. Her hand shook and her eyes widened like those of a fish. That was probably the last name she wanted to hear. Serena shook her head, still in disbelief herself. She leaned forward and whispered, in case anyone was listening.

"I was so upset with Dan, I haven't spoken to him in three days. It's killing me B, I don't know what to do. I want to support Dan, but I'm unsure if things will work out. You know that something bad is going to happen when you put Nate, Chuck, and Carter in the same room."

Blair took a deep breath, still shocked from hearing Chuck's name. "Dan doesn't know about what happened with Carter and I, and Nate doesn't know about you and Chuck--"

"Please. Don't say anymore." Blair said, raising her hand with an open palm. She looked as pale as if she had seen a ghost. Serena sighed.

"I feel bad, because Dan was really excited. But how can they possibly get along? I thought Dan hated all of those guys. And what does it mean for me, you know? Like what happens if they do somehow work together and get big and stuff?"

"Simple. They won't." Blair looked at Serena with eyes as serious as death. There was a silence, when suddenly Serena's phone rang. She reached into her purse and pulled it out.

"Hello?"

"Serena, it's Dan."

"Hi Dan." She figured it was about time she picked up. On the other end of the line, Dan sighed nervously.

"Look, I know that you weren't expecting me to say those names. I know you and Nate have a history, and Chuck's just…well, Chuck's just Chuck. But I have a good feeling, Serena. I did think about you before I chose them, and something told me that everything would be alright. I know it will be hard for you to come and support me with them being there, but I hope you'll see past that." He sighed. "I don't want to lose you over this, Serena. If it really is too much for you to handle, I can get new members. I'm sure there are some talented people in Brooklyn."

Serena paused for a second. Dan sounded so confident, so sure that he made the right decision. Could she really get over it and trust his feeling?

"I don't want to lose you either, Dan. I love you. If this is what you want to do, then I'm not going to stop you." Dan smiled brightly on the other end of the line.

"You're the best," he said. Serena smiled.

"That's why I date you," she replied. "So when is your first meeting?"

"I told the guys to meet Thursday after school in the St. Jude's music room. We have our chorus classes there. There are always instruments in that room, not that we'll be need them just yet."

"I'll come."

"You don't have to."

"I want to! Blair will come too. She'll probably want to support Nate." Blair rolled her eyes hearing this. So did Dan.

"Alright then, I guess I'll see you two on Thursday," Dan said with a grin to cloak his Blair-hatred.

"Great! Love you!"

"Love you too."

Serena hung up with a smile, hoping that Dan was right. Blair sighed.

"You are the only person I know who could be totally upset with your boyfriend one minute and completely alright the next."

"Hey, you're one to talk," Serena said with a joking smile. "By the way, who were those flowers on your doorstep from? Nate?"

"S, you really need to stop reading Gossip Girl."

"Like you don't?" Serena asked. Blair sighed.

"They weren't from Nate. They were just for one of my mom's get-togethers. Nate hasn't sent me flowers in forever." Blair looked uneasy. "I'm worried now, S." Serena knew what her friend was thinking about.

"Blair, Chuck's not going to tell Nate. He would've done so already. His blackmailing you didn't work, obviously. He won't try anything else." Blair looked up at her with nervous eyes.

"He's Chuck Bass. He'll think of something."

"Since when are you scared of him?" Serena asked. Blair pondered for a moment, then looked more confident.

"You're right. I won't worry about it anymore."

Blair could lie to Serena, but she couldn't lie to herself.

Dan sighed and looked at his watch. Three thirty. They were all supposed to be in the music room by now. Maybe putting Nate and Chuck in his band hadn't been such a good idea after all.

A playing of "Mozart's Requiem" on the piano woke him from his thoughts. He turned from the podium at where he was standing and saw Carter playing the ivories.

"You play piano too?" Dan asked. Carter stopped playing, but didn't look at Dan.

"Just a little," he said. He began to tap two keys with his middle and index fingers on his right hand. "We won't need it anyway."

"No, we won't." Dan rested his chin on a knuckled fist and listened to the two high-noted keys play over and over again.

"So where exactly are you from?" Carter suddenly asked. Dan looked at him, and Carter stopped playing the piano. He was dressed in a classy grey suit and brown shoes.

"Brooklyn," Dan said. "How about you?"

"I used to live up here. Then after I graduated I moved on and saw the world."

"What was it like?" Dan asked, running a finger along the podium board. Carter's moss green eyes took on a sarcastic glaze.

"Lies, cheating, selfishness…just like home." He smirked. "Though I shouldn't be complaining." Dan raised an eyebrow. Carter let out a small laugh. "You seem like a well-rounded kind of guy, Dan. I'm not, and I'm not afraid to admit that. I've had my scandalous moments." He continued to smirk and his eyes shone as if it was something to be proud of. "But you have nothing to worry about, Dan. You don't have a cent. Plus you did me a favor by letting me in your little group."

Dan didn't know whether to thank him or to be insulted. It was only day one, and Carter was already confusing him. Dan didn't think he posed a threat to him directly, but he had a feeling that Carter was capable of bad things.

Suddenly the door flew open, and the gloomy music room was suddenly colored by a flash of red and yellow.

"I'm here, bitches!" Chuck exclaimed in a purposely loud and annoying voice. Nate trailed behind him and closed the door.

"Finally! What took you so long?!" Dan asked, more than a little annoyed. Chuck sat in one of the chorus chairs and put his feet up on the desk. He took off his navy blue uniform jacket and threw it behind the chair, leaving him in the yellow St. Jude's dress shirt.

"Don't get your tongue tied, poet Humphrey," Chuck said.

"Well, where were you?!" Dan asked. Chuck smiled a little, pleased at seeing Dan so upset. His smile suddenly became a frown.

"Mr. Smith wanted to have a little 'conference' with me." Chuck raised his fingers into quote signs when he said conference. He then made his voice nasally in an attempt to mimic his chorus teacher. "'No smoking in my class!' I'll smoke where I want, damn it." Chuck directed his left thumb towards Nate. "Nathaniel came with." Dan sighed.

"Alright, let's just get this going," he said.

"Great," Chuck said, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket. "I'll need therapy for this."

"Charles Bass! I never thought I'd see you here." Chuck's eyes formed into a scowl as he saw the man in the grey suit sitting on the piano bench. Nate saw him too and his eyes widened.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Chuck asked loathingly. Carter smirked again. Dan looked confused.

"You two know each other?" Dan asked. Chuck laughed as he lit his cigarette, unfazed by Carter's presence.

"Know him? This guy taught me everything I know. Nate too," Chuck said. Dan looked at Carter with a newfound disrespect. Carter didn't seem the least bit displeased. Chuck took a casual puff of his cigarette and shot Carter a mock smile. "So how's my baseball doing, Carter? Did you hit yourself with it yet?"

"Wait, what?" Dan asked. Carter kept on smirking, not replying.

"Chuck, don't--" Nate started. But it was too late to stop a Bass remark once the opportunity had presented itself.

"Well, if you did, I wonder if it hurt as much as when the nurse dropped you on your head when you were born," Chuck said with a proud grin. Carter's smile disappeared and his brow lowered, upset now.

"You shouldn't talk, Bass. You're a real piece of work yourself. And your father's a louse who should never have entered the business world," Carter snapped.

"Thank you for telling me something that I am already aware of. You always were one to state the obvious, Baizen," Chuck said with a cocky tone in his voice. He blew out some smoke before adding, "Oh, and just to fill you in, the sluts all say I'm better than you ever were."

Carter stood up violently, ready to start a fight. Nate stood in front of him, and Carter shoved him out of the way.

"Your friend needs to learn a few things, Archibald!" Carter called out as he approached his dark-haired prey. Chuck grinned as he stood up.

"On the contrary Baizen, you didn't learn enough. At least, that's what the sluts told me."

Carter was about to throw a punch but Nate grabbed his arm and pulled it back, causing Carter to let out a yelp. Nate let go as soon as Carter calmed down.

"Knock it off! Whatever happened in the past is done," Nate stated, always the peacemaker. He turned to Dan. "Dan, let's start this. What's on the agenda?" Dan was too busy staring at them with his mouth open in shock that it took a few minutes to process Nate's words. He shook himself out of it.

"Um, well…" He sighed. This was not off to a good start. "Alright, everyone sit down and relax." Carter sat on the other side of the room, as far away from Chuck and Nate as possible. "I guess there's no need for introduction. I think we all know each other here."

"Unfortunately," Chuck muttered under his breath. Dan cleared his throat.

"The first two things we need are a band name and a song. Any ideas for a name?" Dan asked.

"I don't know," Nate said.

"The Bass-Archibald Experience featuring Two Losers?" Chuck offered. Carter glared at him from across the room. Chuck was too busy wrapping the end of his scarf in between his fingers to notice. Dan looked at Carter.

"Any ideas?" Dan asked. Carter pondered for a minute.

"I say we rip off of some other rock band's name," he suggested.

"How about 'The Bass Underground?'" Chuck said. No one bothered to reply.

"Hey, do you know that song by Jefferson Airplane, 'Go Ask Alice?'" Nate asked. The guys nodded. "What if we do, 'Go Ask Dan?'"

"I like it," Carter said.

"No, it's not bad enough," Dan said.

"Thank you! Finally, Humphrey's talking sense," Chuck said. Suddenly, a wry smile formed at the corners of Chuck's mouth. He was thinking of one person, and it had given him an idea. "What about Secret Addictions?"

"What about them?" Dan asked. Chuck laughed so hard he coughed. Nate, Carter, and Dan looked at him like he was insane.

"I meant for a name, dumb-ass. Secret Addictions can be the band name," Chuck said. He smiled evilly. "Because it represents all of us. There's Nate's father's secret addiction…" Nate blushed, embarrassed. "There's Carter, Lord knows what crap he's done from watching eyes…" Carter smirked. "And then there's Dan's addiction, my step-sister-to-be."

"But that's not a secret," Dan said. Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. It's an addiction nonetheless." They were quiet for a few moments before Dan nodded.

"I like it. We'll use it for now unless we can come up with something better," Dan stated.

"Yeah, it's good. Except that I don't want to admit to the world that my dad's a marijuana addict," Nate said.

"Nathaniel, you'll be fine," Chuck said. Carter leaned over his desk and looked at the two of them.

"What about you, Chuck?" Carter asked. Chuck tapped the end of his cigarette on the desk, and the grey ashes fell to the floor.

"What about me?" Chuck asked coolly.

"What's your secret addiction?" Carter asked.

Suddenly the doors of the room flew open and Blair Waldorf stood in the walkway.

"Serena, they're in here!" Blair called out, looking over her shoulder. She turned back and faced the boys in the room. Her eyes moved directly to Chuck, whose eyes examined her up and down and whose mouth twisted into a knowing smirk. Blair turned away from his gaze, telling herself not to worry about him. Chuck Bass was a fling of the past--and he would stay that way.

Blair walked angrily over to Nate, brushing by her ex-lover.

"Nate, why didn't you answer your phone?! Serena and I were trying to call you!"

"You were?" Nate asked, dumbstruck.

"Well yeah, we were running late, and then St. Jude's has like five different music rooms we had to search for," Blair said angrily. She had forgiven him for not telling her about the band, but now he had made her upset again. Nate pulled his cell out of his pocket and checked his messages.

"Sorry Blair, I must have turned it to silent," Nate said.

"Silence…what a powerful thing," Chuck whispered. Blair stood in between him and Nate, and heard him. Nate didn't. Blair kept her poise, unflinching at Chuck's words.

"You're forgiven, Nate," she said briskly. She wanted to sit down next to him, but she didn't want to be near Chuck. She was glad when Serena entered the room.

"Dan! Hey!" Serena exclaimed, running with open arms to her beau. Dan smiled and embraced her.

"Thanks for coming," Dan said happily.

"Wouldn't miss it. How's everything going?" Serena asked.

"Good, so far. We already have a band name," Dan said.

"Ooh, what's the name?"

"Secret Addictions," Chuck answered for him. Blair took in a breath, expecting him to look over at her and give her a cocky smile. He didn't. He always did the opposite of what she expected him to do.

"We're going to try to work on a song," Dan said to Serena.

"Sounds great!" Serena said.

"Come on S, let's sit down," Blair said. Serena left Dan's arms and began to walk towards Nate. Blair stopped her. "It's okay, we can sit closer to Dan."

"But B, you always sit next to Nate," Serena said. Blair shrugged.

"Well, that's exactly it. I always sit next to Nate. I'll let you sit by your boyfriend for a change." Blair turned to Nate and gave him a sweet smile. "You don't mind, right Natie?" Nate smiled.

"Of course not," he said. Chuck felt like throwing up at hearing Nate's sugary sweet nickname. He rolled his eyes, not caring who was looking in his direction. Serena and Blair took two seats right before Dan's podium. With all the separating, Dan felt like he was at a political talk rather than a band meeting.

"Next up is a song. I've been working on something, and Nate presented me with an idea," Dan said. Nate smiled and nodded proudly. Dan pulled out some sheets from off of the podium.

"I made some copies of my two songs and Nate's song, titled 'Mistakes.' You all can take a look and decide if we should do these or not." Dan passed out three sheets to Chuck, Nate, and Carter. He came and sat down between Blair and Serena and shared his copies with them. As they read, everyone but Carter noticed Nate's song was about how he slept with Serena. Serena frowned at that one.

"I like these," Carter put in, "especially the one about the club." Dan had gotten inspiration for that song the night he and Serena saved Jenny from Chuck. The other was about a band, inspired by his father.

"Nathaniel, your song is too wimpy. This is a rock band. We're supposed to be writing songs about drugs and sex, not past mistakes," Chuck said as he tossed the papers down on his desk.

"No, we can do some sensitive songs. I actually like it," Dan said. Serena grimaced. So did Chuck.

"Fine, be wusses. But I do like the other two even if Humphrey did write them," Chuck stated. Dan smiled at the positive feedback from everyone.

"Like you could write better, Chuck," Blair snidely commented. Chuck's brow lowered.

"Maybe you should just keep your thoughts to yourself, Waldorf."

"You make a better song subject then a writer. I swear that 'You're So Vain' was written about you," Blair said. Serena laughed, and Dan, Nate and Carter tried to suppress their laughter. Chuck glowered angrily at Blair, hating the sudden caustic remarks.

"You're…so vain…" Serena began to sing, pointing at Chuck. "You probably think this song is about you…"

"You're--a--whore…" Chuck sang the next part of the chorus. While everyone looked at him in surprise and outrage, nobody noticed that he was looking at Blair when he sang that and not Serena. Dan stood up and walked toward him angrily.

"You'll be sorry you said that, you son of a bitch!" Dan exclaimed. Nate and Serena went on each side of Dan, trying to stop him. Carter watched in amusement, and Chuck looked at Blair with cold eyes. Blair looked down at her hands in her lap, ignoring him.

"Dan, we talk to each other like this all the time. Think nothing of it," Serena said.

"You're a bastard!" Dan yelled at Chuck, ignoring Serena. Chuck closed his eyes and shrugged. He had been called worse.

"I'm so sick of this!" Nate yelled. Everyone stopped doing what they were doing and looked at him in shock. They had never heard Nate scream before. Nate looked at them all with angry eyes. "Is this all we're going to do?! Just sit here and pick fights and call each other names?! What are we, four?!" They all watched him in silence, and Dan lowered his arms. Nate sighed. "If that's all we're going to do, then why are we all here?! I'm so tired of this constant drama."

"Like you don't bring it upon yourself sometimes?" Chuck asked.

"Let it go, Bass," Carter said with a sigh.

"Nate's right. Let's stop this and begin with a clean slate. We'll hold nothing against each other from now on. Agreed?" Dan asked.

"Agreed," everyone seemed to answer at once, some more begrudged than others. It was silent for a few minutes, then suddenly Chuck leaned against the wall and began to say something very softly. It sounded like it was set to a beat.

"And he walked to Victrola with a smile on his face, a wad of cash in his pants…"

They all looked at him and listened carefully. Blair watched him closely, enthralled as the words flowed from his mouth. She had never heard him sing before.

"Came home with five, woke up with nine, and he poured himself another glass." Chuck stopped and smiled as he saw their shocked faces. "I took Waldorf's suggestion, about the song subject thing."

"That was actually pretty good," Dan said. He turned around and ran to the podium to get paper. Then he came back and sat at a desk. Everyone crowded around him, even Carter. "Let's expand on that."

It was a week later, a Friday. Dan was sitting and having lunch when Nate walked over to him.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Nate asked. Dan nodded, a bite of ham sandwich in his mouth.

"Yeah, sure," he said after he swallowed. Nate took a seat. "You're coming after school today, right?"

"Yeah. I'm glad the last meeting went okay…after those arguments at least," Nate said. He suddenly smiled. "I'm taking voice lessons down at a music store close to my house. I figured I could always learn more."

"I'm glad you're into it." Dan paused for a minute, then leaned in to whisper. He despised Gossip Girl and didn't want her hearing over his band-related conversations. According to Serena, she hadn't found out the members yet. Dan didn't plan on letting anyone know until their first gig. "So what's the story with Carter? I don't want to go back to the topic, but--"

"No, that's fine. You deserve to know." Nate folded his hands and tried to seem like he was speaking casually. "Carter used to be a playboy and drug addict. I guess you could say he was a role model for Chuck and me, except that now I think I've learned differently."

"He said he went traveling," Dan said.

"Yeah, he went all over the world after graduation, and he came back saying that he was a changed person." Nate's eyes suddenly turned cold. "He told me he had changed. He said that he had discovered more important things in life. I was stupid to believe him."

"Why, what happened?" Dan asked. Nate sighed.

"He tried to rob money from me in a poker game." Dan looked shocked, surprised Nate would fall for such an act. "I was having a conscience debate during this time, and I fell for his act. Thank God that Chuck showed up."

"Chuck helped you?" Dan asked. Nate nodded.

"Carter stole from Chuck's apartment. He took a baseball that belonged to Babe Ruth and some other things. Chuck showed up right before Carter and his goons were going to pummel the crap out of me. He told Carter he could keep whatever he stole if he let me go."

"Wow," Dan said. He had never known Chuck was so loyal. Knowing that he helped Nate made Dan think Chuck was a good person…for about two seconds.

"Yeah. But I came over to give you something," Nate said. He handed a piece of paper to Dan. "It's another song I was thinking about." The title was called "Unobtainable." Dan paged through it and immediately recognized that it was another Serena and Blair song. Dan remembered seeing (out of his peripheral vision) Serena grimacing as she read Nate's last song. Humiliating her was the last thing he wanted to do.

"It's good, Nate. But can I ask you a favor?" Dan asked.

"Sure," Nate said.

"Can we please try to stray from the 'sleeping with Serena' kind of songs? I mean, it might be embarrassing for Serena if the song becomes famous and we're asked to explain the meaning behind it all." Nate's eyes became like those of a sorry puppy dog.

"Oh, I didn't think of it that way."

"It might be bad memories for your girlfriend, too," Dan reminded him. Nate stood up.

"Tell Serena I'm sorry," he said. "I can even take the song back."

"Well, I like some of the things in this song. How about I alter it to take the Serena stuff out?" Dan asked. Nate smiled widely.

"That's fine." He bent down and picked up his books off the table. "I'll see you after school." Then he turned and left, his bright blonde hair making him stand out against the other dark-haired boys in navy blue coats and beige pants. Dan smiled, realizing that underneath the silent Nate Archibald there was a good person. Incredibly naïve, maybe, but good nonetheless.

Chuck Bass sat down in the leather seat of his limousine and sighed heavily. He looked out at the glistening lights of New York City and the magnificent colors reflected in his eyes.

"Where to, Mr. Bass?" called out his limo driver.

"The Palace," Chuck said. The glass that divided the front seats from the back rolled up, leaving Chuck to his own thoughts. The ride started smoothly before one of the back tires hit a pothole in the road. Chuck didn't notice.

He had been at one of his favorite fancy clubs, one of his favorite places to be on a Friday night. Or, it used to be. Chuck walked into the club not his usual excited self. He knew he looked good, too. He had worn the sharp red suit that he had purchased for the masquerade party about three months back, complete with a dress shirt as black as his hair and a red tie. He had bought new cologne too, since he had knocked over his old bottle thanks to a nosy Dan Humphrey.

He should have been having a blast. He should have had so much more to drink. He should have had from three to six girls with him in the back seat with him.

But Chuck was alone. He had been alone for a while, and it had begun to bother him too much. He had thought that going out for a night would help him forget his troubles, like it had done numerous times in the past. It hadn't. No amount of booze could stop his mind from wandering. No busty slut that approached him as she whispered naughty words could make him forget the reason why he was there in the first place. For the first time in history, Chuck Bass had left a club without a hangover and without a woman. And it sickened him.

He didn't want to think about Blair Waldorf so much. She wasn't supposed to do this to him--_no _woman was supposed to do this to him. Somehow she had managed to press herself firmly into his memory, so much that everyone else could not hold a candle to her.

Chuck thought about Blair during the day. She was _his _secret addiction, and secret barely covered it. Then he would see her making out with Nathaniel as he passed by an outside entrance, and he would remember that she wasn't his and never would be.

Chuck had tried so hard to keep her to himself. He had gone completely out of character and bought her a necklace for her birthday when Nate hadn't even bothered to show up. He had ruined her cotillion just so that she wouldn't ever want to be with Nate again. That had backfired so terribly that it made his head spin. When Blair ran back to Nate, he had tried to use a traditional Bass blackmail, but even that couldn't keep her from wanting her prince charming.

Chuck didn't understand what was so damned special about Nathaniel, especially when he kept letting Blair down. Chuck figured that if Blair were with him, she would be afraid that _he _would let her down. But after all the times that Nate had done so, why wouldn't she take a chance on someone else? Especially when she could always count on him?

Chuck laid his head back against the seat and sighed. He just had to face it. She didn't want him. She would rather have the man who talked sweet and didn't want her than the man who was a little rough yet wanted her more than anything. He would do anything for her, yet she'd rather have the man who cheated on her with her best friend.

Chuck laughed a little at himself. Since when would he do anything for a girl? He realized that something in his brain must have snapped.

Just then, he saw the street that he took to school every morning approaching. Chuck raised an eyebrow, thinking about Dan's band. He hated to admit it, but it had been going pretty well. When the group met the day before, they had rehearsed their old songs and started Nate's new one. Chuck frowned at the thought of Nate, but then suddenly had a thought. He had nothing else going on that night, and he needed something to take his mind off of the only woman who had ever broken his heart.

Chuck pressed a button and the glass rolled down.

"Wait, turn down this street and go to St. Jude's." The driver turned back and quizzically looked at him. Chuck smiled. "Yeah, I'm going to school on a Friday night."

Soon the driver had arrived, and Chuck hopped out. The Constance Billard and St. Jude schools looked so dark and eerie at night. They also had the worst security in the face of the planet. Chuck slipped in through the gates and found an open window without a problem. He reflected on how easy it had been for him and everyone else to sneak into the school's pool that one night--with bottles of alcohol.

Chuck walked slowly down the halls of St. Jude's, his footsteps seeming to echo off the walls. It was so dark and quiet that Chuck barely recognized the place. Everything looked different at night, so concealed. He finally found the music room where he and the others had practiced and went inside.

Chuck flipped a switch and a dim light was casted upon the room. He walked toward a large brown shelf, positioned behind the grand piano and the podium. Chuck bent down and found a book of old music projects from a graduated class. He flipped to page nine and found copies of the band's songs. Dan always kept extra copies in there in case someone lost theirs. No one ever bothered to look in the old project folder.

Chuck grabbed a copy of Nate's new song and walked over to the podium. He peered at the empty seats, feeling stupid all of a sudden. Then he looked down at the title of the song. Chuck cleared his throat and looked at the first verse, noticing Dan's photocopied notes scribbled on the side. "Soft rock," it read. Then Chuck thought back to what he sang the day before.

"How could I believe…that this was for real…when there's others to long for…other moments to steal…"

"How can I grasp the…things that I've dreamed…when there are other worries…when nothing was as it seemed…"

Chuck smiled. The song was so cheesy, so Nate thinking about Serena. It was very Nate also in the way that it was too sensitive for Chuck's liking. Yet oddly enough, something about it reminded Chuck of himself and what he had been thinking lately.

"Unobtainable…no matter how much I try…unobtainable…no matter how much I lie…everything's impossible…and everything is wrong…unobtainable…and that's what I long."

Chuck had suggested putting "long for" as the words, which technically would have made more sense, but then it wouldn't have rhymed. Chuck smiled at the memory.

His thoughts were interrupted with a crash.

Chuck made a sudden turn and saw a shocked Blair Waldorf standing near a desk.

"I need to stop coming to this school after hours," Chuck sighed, turning away from her doe-eyed gaze. He began talking to himself. "Every time I do it gets me a heart attack. It's like the whole world has nothing else to do but follow me around." He felt Blair's eyes on him, and he turned to face her with a cold stare. "What do _you _want?" he sneered. Blair's eyes went from shocked to angered.

"I came because I left something here yesterday afternoon and I couldn't find it this morning. I figured it was here."

"So you show up at ten thirty at night to come get it?" Chuck asked, turning away from the podium and staring her down. Blair's voice rose to an annoyed tone.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was gone all day to one of my mother's social gatherings. Maybe you'd understand if your asshole father was ever home and asked you to help him with something." Chuck grinned.

"I love it when you're feisty." Blair rolled her eyes.

"You disgust me." She bent down and picked up the chair she had knocked over and placed it back on the desk. Blair then began looking around on the floor for the thing she had lost. Chuck smirked.

"So you're back with him again, hunh? Even when he leaves you alone on your birthday or at Christmas? And even though he doesn't even bother to tell you things?" Blair looked up, her face flushed with anger. She had successfully avoided Chuck on a personal level for two weeks. Running into him alone was the last thing she needed.

Especially when he had been on her mind ever since she had kissed Nate and promised him that she loved him. Especially when she kept remembering back to their nights and makeout sessions together and how he had made her feel. Especially when he was standing right in front of her in a dimly lit room, pinning her with his eyes and looking so damn hot that she had to turn her head away just to contain herself. She loved him in red, though she would never tell him so.

"You'll never get it, will you Chuck? I love Nate. You can try all you want to dissuade me, but he will always be better than you." Her heart broke as she said it. Chuck's face brightened with cocky attitude, and Blair knew what was coming.

"Better? Yeah, he really is. I'll bet he was the greatest in bed, too." Blair stiffened, and Chuck's mouth formed into an evil smile. "You can tell yourself that but you know it's a lie."

"You don't know anything!" Blair exclaimed. She wasn't going to let him get the best of her.

"I know _everything_." Chuck briskly walked over to her and grabbed both of her arms before she could run. He bent down and whispered slowly in her ear before she could resist. "I know that look you give him is not the same as when you look at me. I know that when you walk in here on Thursdays you look at me first. I know that Nate can't ever compare no matter how much you wish he could."

"Let me go!" Blair exclaimed, but she didn't put up much of a fight. Chuck laughed in his throat and pulled back to look straight into her eyes. Blair felt her heart beating faster and faster by the minute.

"But I know something else. I know that you'll never let him go, because you're a fool, hanging onto something that can never be. I know because I'm doing the same thing."

Then he pulled her even closer to him and hungrily thrust his lips onto hers. Blair kissed back, diving into what he offered. Her blood rushed and she put her arms around his neck, bringing him more into her. She had what she had been missing and craving for so long.

Chuck's hands moved from her upper back down to her ass, and she grabbed tightly to his shoulders. Blair smelt a new kind of cologne on him, and suddenly her mind filled with images of the things she had been longing to do with him--and to him. They parted their lips for a moment and Blair began to remove Chuck's red suit coat.

That was when Chuck suddenly stepped back. Blair's eyes widened.

"You made your choice," Chuck said coolly. He turned and walked back towards the podium. Blair breathed heavily, unbelieving.

"What?! You can't do that to me!" Blair exclaimed angrily. Chuck turned and stared right back at her, his gaze burning her inside.

"You mean leaving you helpless after you got all hopeful and excited? Well, you didn't seem to have a problem doing it to me," Chuck snapped. Blair didn't respond. They stood staring at one another for a moment, the tension still there. Blair felt guilty tears welling up in her eyes. She looked down so that Chuck wouldn't see.

"You're right. I guess I didn't."

Chuck's cold facial expression turned slightly soft. Blair looked back up at him, the trace of all tears gone.

"You sounded great," she said. "I never knew you could sing." Chuck knew it was pointless chatter to relieve tension, but he let it go.

"Me neither." He looked down at his feet and sighed calmly. "What did you lose?"

"My checkbook."

"That's not good."

"Yeah, I know." Blair looked back at him and tried to muster up a friendly smile. "Maybe the lost and found has it."

"Maybe," Chuck replied, still not looking at her. Blair frowned, knowing her attempts to get out of the awkward state would be futile. She looked at him, her eyes pleading for him to look over.

"Chuck, what happened to us? How did it come to this?"

"Nathaniel broke up with you, you came to me, you've always wanted Nathaniel and I've always been the backup. What was, is now, and ever shall be." Chuck's voice was bitter, and he continued. "I was always the one telling you it would be okay. I was always the one telling him why you were angry. I was the one who made myself sick thinking about you."

Blair's eyes widened, confused. Chuck looked up at her like she wanted, except his eyes looked very hurt. She had never seen him look so broken before.

"Yeah that's right. I thought about it so much that I finally couldn't take it anymore."

"You made yourself sick?!" Blair asked, thinking about her problem.

"Not on my own will, no. But sick nonetheless." Chuck glared, angry again. "I hated myself for it, getting all upset over a girl. I still hate myself for it." Blair couldn't believe what she was hearing, and that Chuck was admitting it. Chuck couldn't believe it either.

"Are you still sick over it?" Blair asked.

"Absolutely not. I took control. You forget who you're talking to. Oh wait." He laid a finger on his chin, sarcastic as ever. "Scratch that. It's obvious that you can forget. Very easily, in fact."

"You don't know that," Blair said softly, the tears welling up in her eyes again. Chuck suddenly let out a laugh.

"Don't pull that crap, Waldorf. At least dignify yourself somewhat and don't pretend like you have thought or cared about me."

"You're so cocky that you can't even think that I might be feeling the same way you've been feeling?!" Blair asked angrily. She walked down to him and got right in his face. "I've woken up in the middle of the night after having dreams of the night you saw me and Nate on the stairs! I see you watching me at school and I feel like I could cry! I remember the way you kissed me when he kisses me and I just want to forget it all!"

She began sobbing, and Chuck immediately put his arms around her and held her. Blair's body shook with her sobs and Chuck rested his head on hers. They stood there in silence until she calmed down.

"Blair," Chuck asked, his arms still around her, "why are we doing this to each other?"

"Because no one else will understand," Blair said through her sniffles.

"Why do you care so much about everyone else? I couldn't care less."

"I have a reputation, Chuck. I have to uphold it."

"But you aren't truly happy." Blair looked up at his face and felt the butterflies returning. Then she stood up slightly on tip-toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"I know. That's the way it has to be."

"No, it doesn't."

Chuck bent down and kissed her again, softer and comforting this time. Blair held it and then the kiss turned deeper, more passionate. Chuck pressed her close against him and Blair brought her one leg up and clutched it around his waist. After making out for a few minutes Blair turned and leaned Chuck up against the piano. He pulled away, not so abruptly this time, and gave her a look of pure sin. Then he walked over to the switch and shut off the lights.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter. Thanks again to everyone for the positive reviews!**** That's what keeps me writing!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass would be all mine and we'd never leave the bedroom. Enough said.**

** The Music in Me: Chapter 3**

Blair remembered waking up after having sex with the man of her dreams.

The room had been dark, even though it was mid-morning. It was so dark that she could almost compare it to a coffin. A creepy silence had permeated the entire room, just like the natural smells that to her described the scent of regret. If she hadn't felt his back leaning up against her arm, she would have sworn there was no one in the room except her. He had also stolen all of the blankets, and she had felt very cold--and very empty.

She had dreamt of that night for years. But when she had ran her hands up and down his tanned back and dove her mouth right into his kiss, she had felt nothing. Her stomach had not twisted into knots and she had not felt her blood rush. She remembered looking into his deep blue eyes, searching for something that she felt like she had lost without ever gaining.

Now she woke up the exact opposite. The music room was filled with a sparkling light. Blair heard a few birds chirping outside…and noisy horns blowing from the street cars. The air hung with the smell of his traditional cologne and scotch combination, and her perfume. She was smiling widely, warm and wrapped in the arms of the man who she never dreamed she would have fallen for in a million years.

The previous night had been mind-blowing. Just when she thought Chuck couldn't get any better at what he did, he proved her wrong. He had been so demanding, so driven with desire that she had immediately succumbed to him without any other thought. Blair could still feel his hands on her, pressing her close to him as he leaned against the grand piano. She remembered running her fingers through his thick, dark brown hair and placing her legs on his strong thighs. His lips moving up her neck, along her shoulders, and everything in between. His deep, whispery voice echoed in her mind:

_I've missed you on me," _he had said with a naughty grin. _"You're so hot." _

She adored the way he made her feel throughout the whole thing. Whenever she was in his arms she felt like a true woman. In the world of the Upper East Side, Serena got all of the attention. Chuck only wanted her. He actually wanted _her, _Blair Waldorf, the overlooked sidekick of Serena Van Der Woodsen. It made her feel so exhilarated.

Blair loved the way he touched her. Whether he was grabbing her waist and bringing her lowers into his, or running a hand gently across her cheek, Chuck always managed to make her blood stir. She hadn't felt that with Nate at all, not even when he was naked and touching her.

Then there was the way Chuck looked at her. His dark chocolate, almost black eyes were always filled with emotion. He had looked right into her eyes last night with such want that it made Blair forget everything else but him. They seemed to burn right into her. She _knew _that he wanted her, and he didn't even have to say the words. He tortured her when he had stood there for a few moments, just staring at her with that look. It had felt like hours before he finally couldn't hold off and took her in his powerful arms. Blair had wanted him so badly and she was never a patient person.

Blair adjusted the shirt that laid over her, then turned her head upward and looked at her lover. The piercing eyes that had taunted her were closed, and his entire facial structure looked relaxed. Blair stared in puzzlement, trying to remember a time when she had seen him like this before. Chuck looked so calm and happy that it was abnormal--for him, at least.

The sun threw in much light on his body and Blair's eyes examined him. His coat was placed so that it covered his privates but left his waist bare. Her eyes moved upward towards his chest and images from the night before flashed in her mind. A huge grin began to form on her face, and she looked upward to focus on something else.

It didn't help, because Chuck's face looked so sweet when he was sleeping that it was a turn on. His usually smirking mouth was formed into a cute, innocent looking smile. His hair was attractively messy, riled up from the sex. Blair just couldn't get over how content he looked. The casted sunlight and his softened features made him look like an angel. Blair nearly laughed. He was the untamed, authoritative, unbelievably sexy devil at night, the pale but fair-skinned angel at morning.

His arm was still around her, so she gently placed her palm on his outstretched hand. She intertwined her fingers with his, and she discovered that their hands fit perfectly.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Chuck stirring slightly. She saw his eyes opening, and a smile spread across his face when he saw her. She smiled back, loving how sweet he looked. It was the side of him she had never seen before--or just never noticed.

"Morning," Chuck said, his voice weary.

"Good morning," Blair replied brightly. Chuck continued to smile and looked at her lovingly. She blushed as the butterflies returned to her stomach.

_"Stop denying it," _her mind told her. _"You're falling in love with him."

* * *

_

Chuck slowly moved his arm out from behind Blair's head, for it had fallen asleep. He moved it down and found her hand and held it. Blair kept looking at him in silence, and he looked back. They remained like that for a few moments before Chuck spoke.

"There are…no words to describe how great that was." Chuck never normally admitted how great the sex had been for him, but he couldn't help himself this time. Blair grinned from ear-to-ear at hearing that.

"I agree." She suddenly whispered. "I think your facial expression when you came is going to be burned in my memory for a year." Chuck stifled a laugh and whispered back:

"I think the feeling of when I came is going to be burned in my memory for a year." Blair turned red as his voice sent chills up her spine. She suddenly felt the urge to do it all again. "I've taught you well, Waldorf." Blair laughed.

"Yeah that's right Bass, take all the credit."

"Nathaniel couldn't have done it better." They both laughed maniacally, and then there followed an awkward silence. "Blair?"

"Hmm?"

"You _are _breaking up with Nathaniel now. Right?"

Chuck's eyes were back to their normal, "answer the way I want you to" stare. Blair wanted to speak, but no words came out. She sighed.

"I don't know, Chuck. There's so much I have to lose if I do."

She couldn't bear to look at him. She figured he looked more hurt than he had ever looked before, and it would crush her to see him like that. Neither of them did anything for the next few seconds.

"I knew it," Chuck suddenly sneered. He sat up and reached for his shirt on the other side of him. "What was I fucking thinking?!"

"Chuck, we both know that this…us…_we _can never be. You said so yourself," Blair said, trying to stay calm. "It's my reputation…what others will say…" Chuck was angrily putting his clothes on when he suddenly stopped and looked at her. His eyes became black and furious.

"Last night you said you didn't care!" Blair sat up, angry again. Chuck turned away once more and reached for his shoes.

"I never said that!"

"Yes, you did. You did when you kissed me back. I thought things were going to be different this time!"

"You don't know how hard it is for me to keep up these appearances!" Blair exclaimed.

"Yes Blair, I do. I have to wake up every day, pretending that what we did never happened, and that it meant nothing to me. I can't take it anymore!" Blair was shocked. Since when did a girl mean anything to Chuck other than sex?

"Chuck, I--!" Blair stopped. He had turned once again and held her gaze. She saw the emotions in his eyes again: rage, hurt, desolation. Chuck leaned forward and put his index finger on her lips. She could look nowhere else but right at him, and her heart was breaking in two.

"Mark my words," Chuck said. His voice rippled from the feelings he was concealing from her. "I will _not _be played a fool one more time. No more secrecy, no more lies, no more sexual frustration." He dropped his finger, but she couldn't look away.

"Chuck…"

"It's either me, or him." Chuck stood up completely, gazing down at her. "I'm through with this shit."

He walked away, his feet hitting the floor hard. He slammed the door behind him, leaving an echo louder than all of the horns outside. Blair sat there, staring at the door in disbelief. Never before had she seen Chuck so angry…so angry at _her_.

Tears began to flood her eyes, and she began to gasp. Her chest felt heavy and sore, like someone had placed a weight in her. When she couldn't hold it in any longer, she buried her face in her hands and wept.

Forget starting to fall in love with Chuck. She already had.

**Spotted: C going home from school…at seven thirty in the morning?! Unless St. Jude's has a n****ew "very early ****detention" policy, we can only begin to imagine what C was doing ****in ****there. His appearance **_**did **_**look quite disheveled. Was he being punished in some other wa****y? Are chalkboards C's new turn-on? Who knows, with ****that**** naughty ****boy.**** I'll find out, though. C should know more than anyone that you can't keep a secret forever. U ****know**** u love me. **

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

* * *

"Oh my God, you're kidding me!" 

Serena sighed and stomped her foot in frustration. She flung some hair out of her face and coughed as the surrounding car exhaust filled her lungs. Her mom, Lily, got out of the limo and sighed.

"Well Serena, I must say that I've never seen you so anxious to get to school before."

"It's just because of Blair," Eric quipped. Serena turned to her little brother, who gave her a warm smile.

"Wow Eric, don't you have your own friends to worry about?" Serena joked.

Serena's brother Eric had a doctor's appointment early Monday morning. It was just a routine checkup on his condition, but the doctor's weekend had been booked. Serena had insisted on going with Eric for moral support. Lily's mind had been so filled with wedding plans that she decided to accompany her children. Unfortunately, on the way back to Constance and St. Jude's, the limo's engine had gone wacko. The Van Der Woodsen family stood on the side of a New York expressway, wondering what to do to pass the time before help arrived.

"So what does Blair need you for?" Lily asked her daughter.

"It's more of my own wondering," Serena said. She sat on the curb and Eric plopped down next to her, pulling his earphones out of his pocket. "I called Blair this weekend and she didn't answer her phone. She finally picked up Sunday night and said that she would tell me what happened today after school."

"I hope it's nothing too serious," Lily said. Serena thought of Blair's eating disorder and her stomach dropped.

"I hope that too."

Serena eventually got to school, only to find that Blair wasn't there.

"Her mother called in and said that she was very sick," one of the teachers informed Serena.

_"Sick? __Oh no."_Serena tried texting Blair in class; no response came back.

Soon it was lunchtime, and Serena was meeting up with Dan in the courtyard. At least, that was the original plan. Serena stood by a vine-covered wall, tapping her foot and waiting for her prince in the army green coat to show up.

Soon she saw him running towards her, his black-haired head bobbing as he ran. He came to a sudden stop in front of her and took a few deep breaths.

"Hey!" Dan said cheerfully through his panting.

"Where were you? I was getting worried," Serena stated. Dan smiled.

"That's sweet of you."

"Well, I love you. I tend to worry when you decide to show up twenty minutes late." Dan laughed and put a stubborn lock of her hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry, I was talking with one of my teachers, and now I just got an emergency call from my dad. I have to rush home."

"What, right now?" Serena asked, surprised. It wasn't like Dan to abruptly leave school--it wasn't like Dan to leave school, period.

"Yeah, my dad may have gotten the band our first gig, and we need to go talk with a possible agent." Serena gasped with joy.

"Dan, that's wonderful!" She threw her arms around him and he hugged back. They stood like that for a few seconds.

"Um, as much as I do enjoy the occasional ten minute stronghold, I better go," Dan said. Serena pulled away and looked at him with a grin.

"Go on and negotiate," she said. Dan bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"You're the best!" he exclaimed. He waved at her as he backed up, knocking into one of the boys walking behind him. The boy's books dropped all over and Dan nearly tripped. Serena let out a laugh, not being able to hold it in. The exit was just so Dan-esque.

Dan turned around to help the boy who he knocked into.

"I'm sorry! I didn't see you there," he stated.

"No problem, Dan." Dan looked up, right into the blue eyes of Nate.

"Hey Nate!" Dan picked up one of Nate's books and held it in his hand. He cocked an eyebrow. "You're reading a Mozart biography?" Nate took the book from Dan's hands.

"I found him kind of interesting after we learned a little bit about him in chorus class." Dan nodded as he handed Nate the rest of his books. Serena observed them with widened eyes.

"Well, I'd better get going. I'll see you later," Dan said as he stood up.

"See yah," Nate replied. Dan jogged away after one last wave to Serena, who waved back. Nate watched him go, and as soon as Dan was out of sight, Serena walked over to her old flame.

"He's amazing, isn't he?" Serena asked. Nate looked startled by her sudden appearance, but he laughed jocularly.

"Well, I can't say," he said. They laughed to hide the awkward tension building up.

"I haven't talked to you in forever, Nate."

"I don't see why we should have, after…everything." Serena nodded.

"I know. But that was a long time ago. Can we ever just be friends again? Like we were before that whole thing happened?" Nate smiled, trying to hide his attraction and his sadness. He wanted to talk to Serena again, but he couldn't deny that he still liked her for more than a friend. Approaching him and asking for his friendship was the sign that she had truly moved on.

"Sure," Nate said with a nod.

"Great!" Serena said, thinking everything would be cool once again. She sat down at one of the tables and Nate took a seat next to her. Serena spoke with such a certainty. She did not gaze at him with a sparkle in her eye or speak bubbly, the way she used to act around Nate. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing much."

"Dan told me that you're really getting into the band." Nate smiled.

"Yeah, it's been fun. Dan's a nice guy, and Carter has surprisingly been acting normal. Everything has been going well."

"I never thought it would work, putting all of you in one room together." Nate laughed again.

"Me neither. I thought it would be hell." Serena's facial expression turned serious.

"Did Blair text you by any chance? She isn't in school today, and she didn't answer her phone all weekend."

"Yeah, she came down with a bad sickness on Sunday," Nate explained. "I think it's the flu. No wait, maybe it was strep." Serena wondered for a second if Nate even cared. Nate suddenly looked at Serena with questioning eyes."Did you ever tell Dan about you and Carter?" Serena nearly screamed in shock. How did Nate know?

"How do you know about Carter and me?" she asked in an angry tone. Nate was taken aback, but he understood.

"Don't worry. Carter told me when it happened. We were still close friends back then, you know. No one else ever found out."

Serena couldn't believe it. Nate had known all along?! Why didn't he ever tell her?!

"Are you absolutely positive that no one else knows?" Serena asked.

"Yes. Come on, if anyone else knew, it would have been all over Gossip Girl in the blink of an eye," Nate said. Serena nodded, knowing he was right. "So did you?"

"Did I do what?" Serena asked.

"Did you ever tell Dan about you and Carter?" Serena looked down at her manicured fingernails.

"No," she answered curtly. Nate's eyes widened slightly.

"I think you should tell him. It's better that he knows."

"Nate, I'm sorry, but I think you should go." Serena turned her head slightly away from him. Nate stared at her for a few minutes, trying to guess what he had done wrong. Then he slowly stood up and walked away.

Serena was furious. Nate's reminder of her and Carter's fling had made her feel like utter trash. Why hadn't Nate told her that he knew about Carter?! Did he think that he could just suddenly bring up her scandalous old life and her present love life--now, after not speaking to her personally for months?!

Yet deep in her heart, she knew Nate cared about her. That was why he never told anyone else. Serena also knew that she _did _have to tell Dan. She remembered when she had tried to hide her Nate fling from Dan, and nearly lost him in the process.

Serena couldn't risk that again. She loved Dan too much to lose him.

* * *

"Good news, everyone!" Dan exclaimed as he walked into the music room Thursday afternoon. His fellow band members were there, playing cards. Naturally, it had been Carter's idea to pass the time. Chuck perked up at Dan's words. 

"You're buying dinner? Fantastic." Chuck looked at his two companions. "I'll eat anything that does not include anchovies or anything wimpy. That means no plain cheese, Nathaniel."

"Royal flush," Carter suddenly said, tossing his cards down on the desk with a smirk. Nate threw his cards down, his face red as a tomato.

"You just got lucky, Carter," Nate commented. He was a pretty sore loser. Chuck rolled his eyes, annoyed that no one was paying attention to him.

"It's a sad day when a Bass is ignored." He purposely raised his voice to a loud tone and looked at Dan. His next sentence dripped with over exaggeration and sarcasm. "Hey Humphrey! What's going on, old pal?!" Dan looked at them all with a serious and annoyed face.

"Oh, nothing out of the ordinary. Just that we got our first gig and an interested agent took down my number, but that's not important. Can we get back to mocking me? That was some jolly good fun."

The boys all stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. It was the quietest Dan had ever seen them. Dan smirked a little as they stared at him like fish waiting to be fed.

"We got our first gig?! Where?!" Nate asked excitedly.

"An underground club in Brooklyn. My dad played there a lot before he went out on the road," Dan replied.

"Whoa whoa, hold on," Chuck said as he lit a cigarette. "No _way _am I going to Brooklyn."

"Why not?!" Dan asked. Chuck smirked as if Dan was stupid.

"The class system plays a bigger role than you think, Humphrey. I've never been anywhere past the Upper East Side, and it's going to stay that way."

"Chuck, come on," Nate said. Chuck rolled his eyes again, this time directed at Nate.

"You can't seriously want to go there," Chuck said.

"There's no other choice, Bass," Carter cut in harshly. "Either you're with us or against us. I've worked too damn hard for this to result in nothing."

Chuck's eyebrows lowered. He _always _got his way--no questions about it. But, what did he care about what other people thought of him anymore?

"Fine, fine. Whatever." Chuck sat on a desk and hung his legs off the sides. He took a puff of his cigarette and blew out the smoke through his nose. "I'll have to show the middle class who truly runs the show." Dan ignored him and continued.

"I met with a man on Monday named Harold Price. He's a music agent, and he liked the songs we recorded that one day in practice. He said that he would come to our first show and see if we are worthy of a contract or not."

"Sounds great!" Nate said eagerly.

"Looks like this will be the defining moment, you guys," Carter said with a small grin. Chuck ran his fingers along the creases in his pant leg, not replying.

"We're set to appear at the club next Sunday night at eight," Dan said.

"Next Sunday?! That's like a week from now!" Nate exclaimed.

"No Nathaniel, it's twelve and a half years," Chuck said with a cocky grin. Dan clapped his hands together.

"Alright guys, now to work. Let's review 'The Ballad of a New York Sex Addict.'"

After their long practice, Dan told the guys to keep practicing, and dashed out of the room first. Nate coughed.

"Wow, I think I'm going to get laryngitis if we keep up these hard practices," he said. It was a good thing that Chuck had his back towards Nate, otherwise Nate would've seen Chuck's glowering, jealous stare.

"Make sure you don't," Carter said.

_"Wouldn't that be terrible?" _Chuck thought sarcastically. He suddenly sighed and rubbed his throbbing temples. He hated thinking this way; he really didn't want to despise his best friend. But he just couldn't help it.

"Chuck man, are you okay?" Nate asked, looking concerned. "You haven't seemed yourself this whole week. Are you getting sick or something?"

_"Just sick of you.__ And sick of her wanting you. And sick of my whole, screwed up life." _

"No, I'm fine," Chuck said with an encouraging smile. "I've just been having a few bad nights, that's all."

"Have the girls been that bad?" Carter asked with a perverted smile. Chuck didn't reply.

"You should go home and sleep," Nate advised as he picked up his own stuff. He turned to Chuck. "Do you want a ride?" Chuck smiled at the corners of his mouth.

"I think I can call my chauffer, Nathaniel. But thank you."

"No prob. I'll see you tomorrow, guys." Nate turned and walked out, seeming very happy and proud. Chuck looked down again as he heard the door slam, thinking about how badly he needed a drink.

"You hate yourself for loving her, don't you?"

Chuck looked upwards in shock as his stomach churned. Carter's smooth, confident voice hadn't said those words. He couldn't have.

"I never would have believed it if I saw it. Chuck Bass in love!" Carter laughed in his throat. "And with his best friend's girl. Nice."

Chuck winced, and he could feel his hands clench into fists. How Carter could have known about him and Blair was beyond him. All he knew was that it pissed him off. Chuck turned around very slowly. He scowled as his eyes fell on Carter, standing tall with his arms folded casually and his mouth formed into the smarmiest of smiles.

"How the hell did you find out?" Chuck asked, trying to keep his composure as much as possible. Carter paused, purposely keeping Chuck on edge.

"Chuck, have you forgotten who taught you everything you know? I can find out anything I want. I have the money and the connections."

"Why…" Chuck couldn't even form the sentence. He was too disgusted and shocked for words. Carter smirked, enjoying Chuck's displeasure greatly.

"I noticed you looking at Blair so resentfully whenever she came in here. It caused me to wonder why. After all, you two were on such good terms when I left." Carter stopped to beam, taking great pride in himself. Chuck would've punched him, had he not wanted to hear the rest of the story. "I took a little gander at the old Gossip Girl posts. I saw everything. Nate and Blair at the Cotillion, you pulling a Serena and running away to Monaco, everything. I suspected that something was going on between the two of you, but I didn't have any proof. Then, I read the post about you coming out of St. Jude's."

Chuck drew in a breath as Carter continued to smirk.

"I had met with Nate for drinks that Friday night. He wanted to chat and let bygones be bygones, I suppose. Even though, according to your warped imagination, I tried to steal his girlfriend at the Cotillion."

Chuck nearly slapped himself. How could Nate do that?!

"He received a text from Blair, telling him that she was at something for her mom, and that she was going to St. Jude's to look for her checkbook. After reading the message, Nate explained to me how Blair had lost it and everything. Then he got your message. The one that told him you were planning to leave the club early and that you were wondering what he was doing. Well, he was getting a little too drunk to reply back." Carter flashed an evil grin. "Sorry about that."

Chuck was frozen. He wanted to punch Carter, or call Nate and yell at him, or do something. It was like Carter had him held in a dazed spell. Chuck wished all of this was just the work of some spell or nightmare that he could wake up out of.

"The description of your condition and the knowledge that Blair was going to St. Jude's made everything too clear. I knew you two were having sex, but dear God, I didn't expect you to be in _love _with the woman." Carter laughed coldly, like a villain out of some old movie. "Nate may not see the changes in you, but I do. You look tortured constantly, because she will never be yours. You hate her for not wanting you and you hate yourself for being so attached to her."

Chuck stood in silence, in awe. He had to give Carter Baizen credit. No one else had ever suspected the bad boy and the pristine princess to hook up. Not even Gossip Girl was aware of that one. Carter had seen through their facades. He had figured it out.

"You wronged me so much in the past, Bass. I befriended you and Nate, and I showed you two the time of your lives." Carter began to step forward. Chuck didn't dare breathe. "And you repay me how? By rescuing Nate and making a fool out of me?! Making Nate resent me completely, and off-handedly telling him to give me a black eye?!" Carter got right in Chuck's face. Chuck clearly saw the rage flaming in Carter's eyes, and could have sworn they were the angry eyes of Satan himself.

"You think you're so damned clever, coming up with your little schemes and shit all the time. Well let me clue you in: you're nothing."

Carter swiftly brought his hand up and brought it down violently on Chuck's face. Chuck felt his head throb even more and his face stung from the sudden inflicted pain. However, Chuck didn't put a hand to his cheek or anything. He just looked back up at Carter with determined eyes. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

Carter suddenly grabbed Chuck's shoulders tightly and pulled him so close that Chuck saw every angry wrinkle on Carter's face.

"I won, Bass. This time, I won."

Chuck looked down, acting nonchalant. Then he coolly looked back up at Carter.

"Get out of my fucking face."

Chuck forcefully brought his leg up in between Carter's legs. Carter yelped loudly and loosened his grip on Chuck's shoulders. Chuck used all of his arm strength to push Carter off of him completely. Carter fell backwards and tripped over a chair leg. He fell to the ground with a hard thud, while Chuck watched.

"What did you win, Carter?" Chuck began to slowly pace back and forth, looking down at the crumbled Baizen ball on the floor. "Sure, you figured it out, and I give you immense credit. No one has ever pieced it together yet other than you." Carter tried to stand but he couldn't feel his legs. Chuck smirked. "But you say you won. What was the prize?" Carter managed to bring his head up and smile evilly.

"Why do I do all of my investigations? Why have I tried to screw over my friends? Why did I travel the world and come back with more sins than you can count? It's all for money, Bass. Money is everything. And your father has the largest supply in New York."

"What are you getting at?" Chuck asked, though he knew fully well.

"I'm playing your little game, of course. I'm blackmailing you, Chuck. If you don't give me all of the money I ask for, I'll tell Nate that you love Blair and have had sex with her. Nate will not take to that news very well, so once he knows, everyone will know."

Chuck couldn't believe it. The tables had turned, and not in his favor. He hadn't trusted Carter from the start. He should have warned Humphrey how dangerous Carter truly was. Chuck cursed his sense of pride.

"You really aren't in financial trouble, are you?" Chuck asked. Carter laughed.

"Are you kidding me?! Of course not! That was a bunch of bull. I knew--and read--how much of a kind, trusting guy that Dan Humphrey was. With my skills he would let me in the band without a second thought. I knew I could convert Nate back to my side too. It was you I knew I would never be able to fool." Carter stood up, still laughing in his throat. "Yet you didn't tell Humphrey." Chuck scowled.

"Go ahead and tell Nate," Chuck said. "Go ahead and tell the world. I don't give a damn about what people think anymore. I'd rather have Nate hate me forever than live with these secrets every day of my life." Chuck turned on his heels, ready to make his dramatic exit, when he heard Carter's accursed, cocky laughter again.

"I know you don't care, but what about Blair Waldorf?"

Chuck froze as an image of Blair entered his mind. If the secret got out, it would destroy her future completely. He knew how badly she wanted that future. All she had ever dreamed of was Nate, Yale, a few kids and a small house. Chuck wasn't ever in those dreams, as much as he hated accepting that fact.

His heart sank in his chest. He knew that if he had sense, he wouldn't care about her. He would just walk out, thinking that she deserved it after the way she treated him.

Chuck sighed heavily and walked back over to the rising Carter Baizen.

_"I guess I don't have sense." _

"Alright Carter, you'll get your money. Just leave Blair alone." Carter grinned with pride.

"I knew you would crack eventually. Everyone has a weakness, Bass. Even you."

"Just tell me how much you want," Chuck said, annoyed.

"I want four million dollars to start." Chuck's eyes went wide. His father would definitely notice that amount gone from his son's bank account. "But don't worry, you can pay me a little every week. If I don't get the money by the end of every Friday, I'll head right for Nate's doorstep. And that does count tomorrow."

Chuck snarled under his breath. He couldn't believe what he was about to ask Carter.

"Promise me something," Chuck said. Carter raised an eyebrow as Chuck gave him a death stare. "You are not going to walk out on the band." It wasn't a question. Chuck knew how much effort Nate and Dan had put into it. Chuck couldn't believe that he was actually standing up for Dan Humphrey.

"I'm not leaving the band. Wherever there's money to be made, I'll stay." Carter got in Chuck's face again. "You wouldn't tell Nate about this, of course. But if you breathe a word of this exchange to Dan or anyone else for that matter, I'll know. You know what will happen then." Chuck nodded slowly, accepting the deal. Carter smiled and slowly brought his hand up. He grabbed the end of Chuck's scarf and rubbed the fabric.

"This is amazing," he said. "I'm the one person who outsmarted Chuck Bass."

Carter's cocky moment was destroyed when Chuck kicked Carter's shin. Carter let out a little whine and dropped the scarf. Chuck grinned. Carter was such a weakling.

_"Yet he's winning." _Chuck's face went blank, then it suddenly formed into a look of vengeance.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. This isn't over, Baizen."

Chuck slowly turned around and adjusted the scarf around his neck as he went for the door.

"And he walked to Victrola with a smile on his face, a wad of cash in his pants…" Carter sang eerily. Chuck reached the door and paused. He looked back at his adversary once more with immense hatred. Carter had the devil's smile spread across his face again.

"Came home with five, woke up with nine, and he poured himself another glass!"

Chuck opened the door and left the music room, Carter's laughter echoing behind him. Chuck walked out of St. Jude's slowly, weighed down by all of his shattered dreams.

* * *

That same Thursday after school, Serena paid a visit to a certain Waldorf residence. She came up to the penthouse in the elevator. Blair's maid Dorota saw Serena come in as she carried an arrangement of flowers. 

"Oh, Miss Van Der Woodsen!" the maid exclaimed. Serena smiled back.

"Hi Dorota. Is Blair here?"

"She is, but she has been very sick. She is not accepting visitors right now."

"Please, I have to see her. I have her homework," Serena said as an excuse. Dorota shrugged, figuring that if anyone was going to cheer Blair up, it would be her best friend.

"Okay, come in. She's in her room upstairs. But make it quick." Serena went up the stairs and knocked on Blair's door.

"Who is it?" came a weak voice from inside.

"Blair, it's S. Can I come in?" There was a small pause.

"Sure." Serena opened the door and saw her best friend sitting on her plush bed, watching "Breakfast at Tiffany's" on a small TV. "So what did you come down with?" Serena asked.

"Strep throat," Blair said hoarsely. Serena smiled.

"You're no Audrey Hepburn, B. I even think Dorota knows you're faking sick." Blair frowned. "What's really going on?" Serena asked. She came and took a seat down on the bed, and Blair sighed heavily, her stomach in knots. She really didn't want to discuss it, but it didn't look like Serena was going to leave without answers.

"I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone. Not even cabbage patch."

"Of course not," Serena promised. She looked concerned. Blair looked down, not wanting to see her reaction.

"Chuck and I had sex again."

With the way Serena was looking, Blair could've said "I'm going to kill myself." It was the same reaction.

"Oh my God!" Serena exclaimed. She stood up and gawked for a few moments in disgust and disbelief. "Oh my God!" She looked at Blair. "Oh my God!"

"Can you please say something else? You're starting to sound like a broken record," Blair said.

"Oh my God!" Serena exclaimed again, obviously not listening. She paced to the mirror, and then paced back, not knowing what else to do. "Are you insane?! Chuck was completely out of your life, the way you wanted him to be! Why the heck would you go back and sleep with him again?!"

"S, I--"

"I thought you loved Nate." Blair looked up at Serena, who looked baffled and disturbed.

"You don't understand, Serena. No one does. Which is precisely why…" Blair couldn't finish her sentence. Serena sat down again and tried to get over her shock. Blair looked awfully sad.

"'Which is precisely why' what?" Serena asked. Blair looked down again, and when she rose her head there was guilt in her eyes.

"I snuck into St. Jude's on Friday, after Eleanor's party. Remember when I told you that I lost my checkbook?"

"Yeah," Serena said.

"I thought I might have dropped it in there on Thursday, so I went in there to look. And Chuck was there."

"What was he doing?" Serena asked.

"He was singing." Serena was shocked once again.

"Since when does Chuck break into school just to sing?"

"I have no clue," Blair said with a shake of her head. "But I heard him all the way down the hall. I knew it was him. I could have turned back, but his voice made me walk on. I never heard him sing alone before without the band. It was a side to him I never saw, and I was curious. I walked in and accidentally knocked over a chair and he saw me. Then we started arguing about Nate." Blair stopped talking and looked down. It was all too hard to look back on.

"Then you two had sex," Serena said for her. Blair nodded, and Serena saw her friend trying to suppress a sudden grin. Serena's mouth formed into an o shape. "And you enjoyed it, you sick monster." Blair laughed.

"Shut up!" She continued to giggle. "I can't help it if he's amazing in bed!"

"Please, I think I'm going to throw up," Serena said, holding up a hand. She didn't care if he was going to be her stepbrother; she despised Chuck and the thought of her best friend with him made her nauseous. Blair kept laughing, and when she stopped her face looked very melancholy.

"The worst was when we woke up. He asked me if I was breaking up with Nate."

"What did you say?"

"I told him that I didn't know. He got so mad and he left." Blair could feel her stomach heave as if she was going to cry, and she tried to hold it in. "I've never seen him so furious before…so furious at me." Blair put her head in her hand and sniffled. She looked back up again with tear filled eyes. "I sat there, and I felt so bad. And I never feel bad for anyone but myself, usually."

"Why would you feel bad?"

"Because he likes me, Serena." Serena let out a loud laugh.

"You're so funny. Chuck doesn't like girls, he uses them." Blair looked at her friend with a face as serious as death. Serena's bright expression faded. "You're not joking."

"No. He said that he wanted more. He said he was tired of being the rebound guy, and that it was either Nate or him." There was a long pause as the information sunk in both of their minds.

"What do you think?" Serena asked quietly. Blair wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She looked ashamed.

"I think I'm in love with Chuck."

Serena didn't remember fainting, but when she woke up on Blair's living room couch she knew that's what had to have happened. Blair walked into the room with a cold, wet washcloth.

"Oh good, now I don't have to wake you with the risk of you getting hypothermia," Blair commented. Serena sat up, her eyes shell-shocked. And then the words flew.

"How can you be in love with Chuck?! Do you know what a creep he is?! Have you been blind to what's he's done these past years?! The fact that he's a man-whore is bad enough, but he's not even nice! Are you crazy, Blair?! Has something snapped?!" Serena inhaled, her cheeks red from the screaming. "There, I feel much better now." Blair just looked at her with saddened eyes.

"I'm not nice either, Serena."

"What?"

"You said Chuck isn't even nice. As true as that is, I'm not one to talk."

"Blair, you _cannot _be comparing yourself to him."

"We're more alike than you think. Manipulative, self-centered…we put on masks every day for other people. And you know what else isn't nice, S? When Nate didn't show up for my birthday party. When Nate doesn't answer my calls and couldn't care less if I worry about him. When Nate slept with my best friend and didn't tell me until the night when I was about to sleep with him." Blair controlled the rage building up in her voice, and Serena looked guilty at the mention of her fling.

"I just think you can do so much better," Serena said. "Maybe not Nate, but I'm sure there's some other guy out there for you." Blair smiled a little.

"It's nice you think that way." The smile faded. "I think that way too, sometimes. But then I remember how Chuck has always been there, and the way he smiles at me, and the way he makes me feel so special just because I'm me." She smiled again, contrasting Serena's large, disapproving frown. "That's why I love him." There was another long pause, before Serena sighed.

"If that's the way you truly feel, why aren't you with him?"

"You know what everyone will say, S. I have to live a perfect, faultless life. Those exact words are the opposite of what Chuck is."

"You're right." Serena said. She pondered for a moment. "But is Nate really any better?" Blair looked down as she took in her friend's words.

"I still care about Nate, even though I don't love him and never can. He has always been a friend. Not a very reliable one, but a friend all the same. I don't want to hurt either of them," Blair said.

"I think either way, one of them is going to have his heart broke," Serena said. "You need to decide who takes the top priority. I wish I could help you with that Blair, but I can't. It's a hard thing that you have to decide for yourself." Blair continued looking at the ground, thinking of both of the men that claimed to love her. Serena flattened out her jacket and sighed. "I better go home. Mom was talking about doing some more wedding planning tonight. Do you think you'll be in school tomorrow?"

"It depends." Blair smiled once again. "Thanks S. It feels better now that I told someone."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Serena asked. She smiled back before turning around and walking to the elevator. As soon as she was alone again, Blair went to the couch and laid down. She kept seeing Chuck's face in her mind, the way he had looked when they woke up that one morning. She remembered how happy he looked, and how happy she felt.

Blair kept thinking about him until her eyes closed. She was startled awake a few moments later, thinking that she had felt his arms around her. But it all was just a dream.

* * *

Serena arrived at the Palace and her mom was busy looking at some dress catalogues. 

"I can't decide if I want a colored ribbon in my dress or not," Lily said as she heard her daughter come in.

"No, go with traditional white," Serena advised. Lily turned and saw that Serena was about to take her coat off.

"Wait Serena, can you do me a favor and go somewhere?" Serena didn't feel like it, but she had felt like she had to repay her mother in small favors. After Lily had left Rufus all so that she and Dan could be together, Serena felt like she owed her mother big time.

"Sure mom. What is it?"

"Will you run up to the Bass suite? I need to find out if the men are wearing black, grey, or navy blue suits. Bart wasn't sure when I last asked him, but maybe now he'll know. If he's even home, that is."

It took all of Serena's power not to faint again. Chuck was the last person she wanted to see.

"Sure." Serena turned around so that Lily wouldn't see her wince. "I'll be back in a jiffy." She left the room and went to the elevator. She was almost tempted to wait a few minutes, go back to her mom, and lie about the suit color.

_"Yeah, just do that. Oh no, too late," _Serena's mind thought. She had mechanically arrived at the Bass suite door, too deep in thought to notice that she was walking there. Serena raised a shaking hand and knocked on the door loudly. The knock echoed down the empty hallway. No answer came, so Serena knocked again.

This time the door opened slowly, due to the force Serena had used with her fist. Someone had left the room unlocked. Serena raised an eyebrow, finding that strange. It wasn't like Chuck or Bart to leave the door unlocked.

"Chuck?" Serena asked as she stared at the little crack in the doorway. The lights were on inside. Serena waited a few seconds before slowly pushing the door fully open with one hand. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She looked around and sighed when she spotted him.

Chuck was sitting on a tall chair at the bar counter that he had in his room. He was still dressed in his St. Jude's uniform, except for the navy blue coat and the scarf that were next to him on the opposite chair. He had his head down on the counter and his arms were placed around each side of his head. Chuck's right hand was placed around a scotch glass, like he had fallen asleep holding it.

Serena walked forward and shook her head. He was the same old Chuck, probably drunk off his ass. She just didn't understand what Blair saw in him.

As she approached closer, she noticed something. The scotch bottle rested on the counter as well, and it was practically full. Not even one fourth of the bottle was gone. Serena looked at the glass in Chuck's hand, and it still had liquid at the bottom. Was it possible that he wasn't drunk?

Serena placed a hand gently on his shoulder and rubbed it gently so that she wouldn't startle him awake. She looked down at his face and smiled a little. He looked so different when he slept. Serena felt disgusted with herself for thinking that Chuck actually looked cute.

His eyes opened slightly and he looked over at her with tired eyes. His mouth formed a little smile when he saw her.

"Hey sis," Chuck said. He sat up slowly. "I didn't hear you come in." Serena rolled her eyes.

"You know, we're not related yet," she reminded him. Chuck smirked a little, and Serena decided to interrupt before he could comment. "So I see you're not drunk, for once."

"I wish I was drunk. Today sucked ass."

"Tell me about it," Serena said. Chuck's eyes darted to his drink glass.

_"If only you knew," _he thought. Then he smirked again.

"Plus if I was drunk, you may actually look hot." Serena rolled her eyes again. There was the old Chuck. She decided to ignore him as best she could.

"I came here because my mom wanted to know what color suits you guys are wearing to the wedding," Serena said. Chuck reached for the scotch bottle.

"I have no idea," he said. He poured some of the brown liquid into his glass. "Bart's gone for the night, otherwise I'd ask him."

"When isn't Bart gone for the night?" Serena asked out loud. Chuck smiled as he twirled the glass in his fingers.

"That's one of those questions that no one will ever figure out the answer to."

"I'll tell you another one. Why is Blair in love with you?"

Chuck nearly dropped the glass. He placed it down and turned around to face Serena, his eyes wide.

"What?" he asked sharply. Serena crossed her arms.

"Blair told me today that you guys had sex…again, and she also informed me that she's in love with you. Can you explain that, Chuck?"

Chuck looked at her in shock.

"She said that?" he asked.

"No, I'm making it up, because I'm just sick like that," Serena said sarcastically. Chuck wanted to smile, but he didn't. He couldn't stop the butterflies in his stomach though, as much as he wanted to. His eyes looked up at Serena.

"She told you about us before?" he asked. Serena nodded. Chuck was silent then, and he moved a hand behind his head.

"She told me that you said you wanted more," Serena said. Chuck was going to laugh in her face and lie, but he stopped. He realized that he wasn't going to keep the act up anymore.

"Yeah, I might have said that," Chuck said, looking up at the ceiling. "Along with a few other things." Serena's eyes widened, unbelieving that Chuck was admitting it. Chuck stood up off of the chair and leaned against the counter. He looked at Serena with slit eyes. "Don't try to convince me to go running to her, Van Der Woodsen. If she really loved me, she'd be with me. I've said all that I need to say to her. It's her decision now."

If Serena were in her right mind, she would have told him not to worry about convincing him. However, she wasn't in her right mind. She was confused.

"Why do you like her, Chuck? Her out of all of the girls you've ever been with?" Serena found herself asking out of curiosity. Chuck shrugged.

"I don't know why. I just wish I didn't. Then I wouldn't have to go through this." Serena smiled.

"Why Chuck, that actually sounded like human emotion. If your aim was to thoroughly surprise me, you completely succeeded," Serena said. Chuck looked at her, his eyes serious.

"No, you don't understand," Chuck said, thinking about the blackmail again. Serena looked at him, puzzled. Chuck sighed, deciding to lie. "It's just too weird, is all. I've never felt this way before." Serena's confused look faded and she smiled again. She didn't know Chuck was capable of actual feelings.

"Don't worry Chuck. I'm sure everything will be okay in the end."

Chuck couldn't figure his soon-to-be-step-sister out. Was she that naïve? Or did she really know in her heart that Blair would choose Nate and she was just trying to be positive? Chuck picked choice number two.

"Thanks Van Der Woodsen. You're not that bad, when you want to be."

"Right back at you," Serena said. She gave him a pat on the arm before she started walking away, proud of herself for talking so deep with two people in one day.

Chuck watcher her start to leave, and he suddenly looked down. So what if Serena knew? There could be no harm in that.

"Serena?" Chuck called. She was halfway to the door, then she stopped and turned around to look at him.

"Yes Chuck?"

_"Um, do you remember who her best friend is?" _Chuck remembered suddenly. He looked away from her and crossed his arms.

"Never mind."

Serena turned again and walked out the door. Chuck sighed and stared at the door, his mind still in deep thought. Then he realized that he was sick of thinking about everything.

Chuck went to a drawer and found his red pinstriped pajamas. He went to the bathroom to change and took a long look in the mirror. He saw failure staring back at him.

He was tired of being a failure. His father had always described him as that ever since he was three. Everyone who heard about the life he led classified him under that title. Blair wasn't with him specifically because she thought he was a societal failure who she would be ashamed to be seen with in public.

Chuck never thought it was true. Until now.

_"This never would've happened to dad," _was all he could think as he threw his pajama shirt over his head. _"He never got blackmailed in his life. __Especially over a reason like this."_

Chuck pulled down the shades in the room and found his bed through the darkness. He collapsed on it and covered himself with the blankets. They were so warm and comfortable that he wished he could just fall asleep and never wake up. Chuck had heard about some people who had died in their sleep. Some were really young, and everyone always felt bad for those young ones, of course.

What Chuck wouldn't give to be one of them was unlimited.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter!**** It's a pretty long one and ****includes a lot of CB, for all of you lovers of ****Waldass****Chlair****/Buck or whatever you call that magnificent couple (go ****Waldass****! LOL) Anyway, there isn't a lot of DS in this chapter but don't worry, ****Derena**** will return! Yeah, ****I'm ****lovin**** these names a little too much. Oh, and thanks once again for the positive reviews. It means so much to a budding, obsessive ****fanfiction**** writer like ****myself**

**Disclaimer: ****I will repeat it once more, ****just because I love this picture in my mind. If I owned Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass would be all mine and we'd never leave the bedroom. Hell. Yeah. **

**The Music in Me: Chapter 4**

"Nathaniel, that look was made for you."

Nate took the picture out of Dan's hands and stared.

"No!" he exclaimed, throwing it back. The picture was of a man with Nate's colored hair, styled in a mullet. Chuck threw his hands up in the air, dramatizing the situation.

"Come on, that would be hilarious!" Chuck exclaimed.

"Plus, no one else's hair is long enough for a mullet," Dan said with a smirk.

"Uh, let me think about it. Ehhhhhh…no," Nate said simply. Chuck sighed.

"You're no fun," he stated.

It was Friday, the day after Chuck and Carter had their "discussion." Dan had texted Chuck and Nate and told them to meet him on the St. Jude's steps at lunchtime. When they got there, Dan had arrived with a few papers. They sat down and looked through them, discovering pictures of some famous rock bands.

"We have to come up with a style," Dan had said. That was when they had come across the mullet photo.

"Well, I think I can keep my hair the same way," Dan said. He leaned back against the handrails and stretched out. "And we all have to wear the same pants."

"Why?" Nate asked.

"We just do. Black or blue jeans?" Dan asked.

"Black, definitely. And I'm spiking my hair," Chuck said with a grin.

"Make it look good, not weird. We're not a boy band, here," Dan said. Chuck laughed.

"You're confusing me with Nathaniel. He's the pretty boy who walked in on the rock band."

"Shut up!" Nate exclaimed jokingly. He shoved the side of Chuck's head. Chuck laughed uncontrollably, not remembering a time he had laughed so hard. Once he finally calmed down he spoke again.

"Hey Nathaniel, maybe you could dress in all white, like the Backstreet Boys. Then the rest of us can all dress kickass." He leaned up against the other rail and put his arms behind his head. "I'm gonna wear a leather black vest without a shirt underneath," Chuck said. Dan let out a loud laugh. He started cracking up so hard that he had tears.

"Oh my God, only an Upper East Side rich boy could have said that," Dan said, once he gained composure. "This isn't the 90's, Chuck."

"And you make fun of me!" Nate exclaimed.

"This isn't the 90's, Chuck!" Chuck said in a nasally voice, mocking Dan. He went back to talking normally. "I don't care, that's what I'm doing. And I'm getting a black and white scarf for it."

"You are not!" Dan exclaimed through his budding laughter.

"Watch me," Chuck said with a smirk. Dan shook his head and tried not to laugh so hard again.

"You Upper East Siders will be the death of me," he said. "We'll probably be the laughing stock of Brooklyn."

"Hey, at least we'll be different," Nate said. "You wanted that."

"You know what I'm doing?" Dan asked, sitting back up.

"What?" Nate wondered.

"I'm wearing a black shirt and a tie and I'm rolling up the sleeves," Dan said.

"You'll look too much like Billie Joe of 'Green Day.' They're punk rock, and we're more hard rock," Nate said.

"I'd say we're a mix of both," Dan said. "It kind of depends on the song. But you're right. Maybe we all could just wear the black pants with a tee-shirt."

"Your coat would go with that," Nate said. Dan looked at his jacket and nodded.

"Yeah, but it gets really hot onstage," he replied.

"Nathaniel, you're giving out fashion tips now? God, you're a wuss," Chuck said.

"Look who's talking, black vest," Nate said. Dan bursted out into laughter, still not over that. Chuck started laughing again because Dan started gasping and he looked too funny. Nate joined in just because the atmosphere was contagious. Once they finally stopped, Nate posed another question.

"What's Carter gonna wear?" he asked. Chuck didn't flinch, but couldn't help letting a remark slip.

"The ugliest tee-shirt we can acquire," Chuck said. Dan raised an eyebrow.

"Are you mad at Carter or something?" Dan asked.

"Don't be," Nate said with a small smile. "He's been an asshole in the past, but I think he's changed." Chuck couldn't believe Nate's naivety at times.

"I heard you guys were back to being buds," Chuck directed at Nate. "He said you guys went out for drinks." Nate thought for a moment, then remembered.

"Oh yeah," he said. "We were going to invite you, but then I remembered you were at the club. Sorry." Nate turned to Dan. "You should come hang out with us sometime, Dan! Carter still needs to get to know you better." Chuck's eyebrows rose and his stomach went sick as he saw Dan crack a tiny smile.

"Sure," Dan said, his voice almost monotone. Then the bell rang. The noise was so loud that the three guys didn't hear the click of a camera phone and a few girlish giggles. They stood up and went in the building door.

"Well, I'll see you guys later," Dan said. He started walking down the east hallway. Chuck watched him leave, having a conscience moment.

"Are you coming, Chuck?" Nate called out. He was already halfway down the west hall. Chuck turned back to look at him.

"I'll meet you there. I have to ask Humphrey something about our sound system." Chuck turned back and ran to catch up with Dan. Nate shrugged and continued walking to class. Chuck raced through the congested east wing.

"Out of my way!" he exclaimed as he pushed through a crowd of freshmen. He finally spotted Dan walking merrily along. "Humphrey!"

Dan looked back, thinking he was hearing things. He wasn't.

"Chuck? What's up?" he asked surprised. Chuck walked over to him and sighed.

"Okay, after I tell you this, you are going to turn around…" Chuck made a circle motion with his finger. "Walk to class…" He made his index and middle finger hop over one another so that it looked like they were walking. Then he put his hand down. "And you are going to forget that I ever told you something that was to your benefit." Chuck's head lowered and he glared, meaning business.

Dan looked completely weirded out and confused.

"Um, okay?" Dan asked.

"Don't listen to Nate. Carter is bad news."

"How so?" Dan asked. Chuck leaned against the locker and looked up casually.

"Well, let me put it this way." Chuck's eyes went back to Dan. "Nathaniel tends to be a little too trusting of people, especially those people who have repeatedly screwed him over and come crawling back. Carter has a bad history, and not bad like sex bad. Bad like, 'he'll cheat anyone without remorse,' bad. This is coming from _me_, mind you, so you know he must be pretty damn terrible." Dan nodded slowly.

"So basically, stay the hell away from him outside of the band?" Dan asked.

"Exactly," Chuck said curtly. He smirked. "Wow Humphrey, you're smarter than I gave you credit for."

"Well, Carter did always seem like a suspicious character, but we need his drum skills, at least until I can learn more. Besides, he hasn't done anything yet, so I'll just keep on being cordial at the band meetings," Dan said.

"Yeah, of course." Chuck found it ironic when Dan said that Carter hadn't done anything yet.

"Plus, I don't think he and I would really get along. I was just being nice when I told Nate that I would hang out with him and Carter. Not that I have anything against Nate, but-" Dan stopped short, realizing who he was talking too. "Yeah," he finished. Chuck smiled, knowing what Dan was thinking.

"Your secret's safe with me," Chuck said. Dan didn't think it was true, but he had no other option but to take Chuck's normally unreliable word. Chuck then turned around and walked away, realizing that it was probably the first promise he ever made that he was actually intending on keeping. Dan walked away as well, wondering why Chuck decided to warn him about Carter from then until the next two periods.

The bell rang again, and Chuck chose to walk even slower. He despised school, and he would stall going to class as much as possible. He paused twice to fiddle with his scarf, and he stopped once more to take a drink out of a water fountain. When Chuck came up from drinking, he heard his phone bleep in his pocket.

Chuck looked around to make sure that no one was watching. He hated how paranoid Gossip Girl had made him sometimes. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his black cell phone. The screen read "2 New Messages." Chuck opened them both.

The first one was a picture of him, Nate, and Dan sitting on the steps. Below was a caption that read:

**I spy, with my little eye…our three favorite throat-cutters from St. Jude's looking like the three musketeers? Has hell frozen over? Have C and N really started bonding with ****lonelyboy****? God, I sure hope not. **

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

Chuck smirked. He was glad that Gossip Girl hadn't found out about the band yet. He wouldn't call what he, Dan, and Nate had a bond, but they were on much better terms than they used to be with one another.

Chuck flipped to the next message and his smile faded. It was a two-sentence text, yet it made Chuck's stomach churn.

**Be ****by the**** backstage door of ****Victrola**** at 7****:15 with $500,000. Come alone or else.**

**Carter**

Chuck stared at the message for a few moments. Then he suddenly flipped the phone's top down and slid it back into his pocket. He felt his face involuntarily take on a form of anger and determination. He brushed a falling end of his scarf back behind his shoulder, and he could hear a drum solo coming from the music room.

He was done with feeling sorry for himself.

He was going to take action, the way he used to when something stood in his way.

_"Look out world. __Chuck __Bass is back." _

* * *

When Chuck swung open the door of his classroom, the teacher looked at him and sighed. 

"Where were you this time, Charles?"

"Smoking." Chuck lied simply. He vigorously walked over to the teacher's desk and picked up a detention slip. The teacher looked shocked, and Chuck held up the slip in between two fingers. "Monday after school?" The teacher nodded, not actually hearing anything Chuck said due to extreme shock. Chuck walked to his desk with such an unconquerable air that all of the boys turned and watched him in a trance.

Chuck took his usual seat--in the very back, next to Nate--and folded his left hand over his right. His piercing eyes fell on Nate, who looked very scared. Chuck held his one hand out.

"I need to borrow a pencil and a piece of paper, Nathaniel." Nate obediently got the items but didn't take his frightened and bewildered eyes off of Chuck. Chuck took the pencil and the paper from him and nodded one time. "Thanks," he said to Nate, looking up from under his eyelids. Chuck turned back and looked at the paper, not noticing that everyone's eyes were on him.

"Um…um…alright, back to math. Now, the quadratic formula…" the teacher turned back to the blackboard. No one paid attention. They faced the room but tried to look and see what Chuck was doing from their side vision.

Chuck was staring at the piece of paper, his focused eyes looking off to the side.

_"Words to describe Carter __Baizen__…" _

Chuck began to write down many words (including freak, scumbag, loser, parasite, swear word, swear word, swear word), but then realized that all he had managed to do was list a million names to call Carter. He also realized that his list of words had taken up an entire sheet of paper. Chuck turned back to Nate.

"Can I--"

Nate thrust out a sheet of paper while trying to look over at the list Chuck made. Chuck took it with gratitude and wrote a new heading at the top. He repeated it in his mind as he wrote it.

_"Words to describe the things that Carter __Baizen__ has done."_

Chuck wrote down the following:

-gamble

-steal

-fuck

-forgery/fraud

-cheat

-lie

-deceive

Chuck flipped the paper to the other side and made a new heading.

"Ways out of Carter blackmail and downsides"

1. Tell Nate--Nate despises me forever

2. Don't give him money--Nate finds out

3. Tell Blair and have Blair tell Nate--In your dreams.

4. Tell Gossip Girl about Carter, spread word--Nate finds out

Chuck sighed. It seemed like that no matter what, he was screwed. He looked over to make sure that Nate wasn't watching what he was writing, and he wasn't. Chuck's brain was thinking a mile a minute.

_"There must be __some __way." _

The bell rang, and Chuck was soon sitting in his chorus class. Everyone's eyes were on him again, but not for the determined way he had walked into math class. They were all curious about the Gossip Girl text that almost everyone had received. Many of the guys didn't care about gossip and ignored it, but some couldn't get over it.

"I hate the way they look when a new post comes around," Nate whispered to Chuck. Chuck nodded and looked at the clock. He had one more class left after this one, and he still hadn't come up with a solution to his Carter problem. Nate looked at his friend, still puzzled about before.

"Are you okay?" Nate asked. "You seem very different since lunch."

"I'm fine," Chuck insisted. Just then, Mr. Smith entered the room.

"Alright everyone, our concert is a week from this Sunday at seven. We'll be taking a break from music theory and music history until then, and we will be mainly focusing on our songs. Take out your music for 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.'"

"Chuck, isn't that the night of our concert?!" Nate whispered in exclamation. Chuck's eyes widened, and he looked over at Dan. Dan was looking at the both of them with his mouth hanging wide open. Chuck leaned back against his chair and sighed. He couldn't believe his luck.

"Son of a bitch!" he exclaimed loudly, shutting his eyes as he said so. When he opened them, the entire class was looking at him, including Mr. Smith, who had been conversing with two boys in the front row.

"Yes Mr. Bass. That is a good term to describe my new puppy. Your hearing is very good. If only your study skills were that sharp, you'd have an A." Mr. Smith then went to the podium and ordered the boys to stand. Nate leaned over and whispered to Chuck.

"I can't believe this. Of all the nights, why did it have to be that one?!"

"We'll just have to schedule our gig for a different night is all," Chuck replied. "Or we can just skip the concert."

"Chuck, that's our grade!"

"We won't need grades when we're filthy rich--well, even more filthy rich than we already are." Chuck sighed, not knowing what to do.

"Alright everyone, stand up!" Mr. Smith commanded. The boys did, and Mr. Smith went to the piano. "Here we go."

They all began the song, and Chuck's mind wandered to the lyrics and off of his stress. He looked up off of the sheet and grinned as he looked around.

Chuck would never admit it to anyone, but he loved the music room. There were so many things, good and bad, that had taken place there. Chuck remembered the night that he had sex with Blair, and the terrible morning that followed. He remembered getting to know Dan for the better, and getting to know Carter for worse. He remembered singing with the band and with his class, discovering that he actually enjoyed it.

The one tiny room held a thousand memories--_secret _memories. No one else would ever know about what took place in there. The room was a private sanctuary from the viewing world outside--an escape.

Chuck's eyes widened. _Escape. _He finished singing the song before he sat down again. As Mr. Smith rambled on, Chuck wrote a note and folded it up. He tapped the guy on his left.

"Will you pass this to Dan Humphrey?" The boy smiled.

"What is it, a love letter?" he asked immaturely.

"Just pass the damn thing," Chuck said lowly with glaring eyes. The boy did as he was told, and the note made its way over to Dan. Chuck watched as Dan opened it and scrutinized it. Dan nodded as he read it. He looked up at Chuck and nodded at him. Chuck smiled, knowing his plans were worth a try.

Soon the bell rang and class was over. Chuck, Dan, and Nate waited until everyone had left before they approached their teacher.

"Mr. Smith?" Dan asked. The man looked up with a warm smile.

"Yes Mr. Humphrey?"

"Remember when you told me that I should get more involved with music?" Dan asked.

"Yes."

"Well, I kinda went and formed a band."

"Really? Well that's spectacular!" Mr. Smith said proudly. Dan smiled.

"Thanks, but there's a problem."

"What's that?" Mr. Smith asked. Dan pointed with his thumbs to Chuck and Nate, who stood on his right and left sides.

"We have our first gig the night of the concert. It's an hour later, but I doubt we'll be done before then. After all, we are the seventh period class, so we'd be last in the order, right?" Mr. Smith nodded, understanding.

"Yes. So you're asking me if you can skip the concert?"

"Well, maybe just change the order. Let our class go first so we can get out." Mr. Smith sighed.

"I'm sorry Mr. Humphrey, but I can't do that. It's not fair to the other classes."

"How is it not fair?!" Dan asked.

"They'll think I did it because your class is superior to them. Although your class consists of some of the best singers, they aren't supposed to know that. It just wouldn't be fair."

"Honestly sir, I don't think they care that much," Nate quipped.

"How much do you want, Mr. Smith?" Chuck asked, pulling a checkbook out of his pocket. "Name your price."

"I will not take bribes, Mr. Bass." He sighed. "I am proud of all of you for taking such an outside interest in what we're doing. But I cannot switch things," Mr. Smith said. Dan shook his head slowly.

"Alright, at least we tried. Come on, guys." Dan led them out the music room.

"Now what?" Nate asked.

"Plan B," Chuck answered, walking forward. Dan walked with him on his right, and Nate ran to catch up on the left.

"What's Plan B?" Nate asked, lost.

"Or I should say Plan E. We'll escape," Chuck said.

"Okay, your lips are moving but I don't understand the words. What the heck are you talking about?!" Nate asked urgently.

"We'll stay for attendance here, and then we'll ditch the concert and meet up with Carter in Brooklyn. No one will ever know we're gone. It will be perfect," Chuck said. Nate's eyes widened and he stopped walking.

"No! We can't!" he exclaimed. Chuck and Dan stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Nate, we have no choice!" Dan exclaimed. "We have to do this."

"No, you don't understand!" Nate exclaimed.

"What don't we understand?!" Chuck asked. Nate sighed.

"I didn't want to tell you guys."

"What?!" Chuck asked again, annoyed. Nate looked up at them with saddened eyes.

"Mr. Smith asked me to sing the solo part in 'Raindrops.'"

* * *

Chuck and Dan stared at Nate in disbelief. Their luck kept getting worse and worse. 

"When did he ask you?" Dan asked.

"A few days ago, after school. He said he was going to ask Chuck but…"

"Yeah yeah, I suck at school. Go on," Chuck said demandingly. His eyebrows had lowered in ferociousness.

"Well, he said I have a great voice for it and that I put in tremendous effort, so he gave me the solo," Nate said. Dan sighed and put his head in his hand. Chuck shook his head slowly, in disbelief. "I was going to tell you guys the day before the concert. I didn't know it would be on the same day as our gig." Nate sounded very solemn.

"Don't blame yourself," Dan said. He looked back up again. "There's no other choice. We'll have to cancel."

"Unless…" Chuck said with a smirk. Dan and Nate looked at him. "Nate could suddenly get physically sick as a result of stage fright." Dan nodded and grinned.

"That's a good plan," he said. Nate looked worried.

"I can't get sick on command!" he exclaimed. Chuck rolled his eyes.

"You won't actually get sick, dumb-ass. We'll go in the bathroom and fake it." Nate smiled, understanding now.

"That's a great plan," Nate said.

"I know, I'm amazing," Chuck said with a cocky smirk. He was obviously proud of himself.

"Don't push your luck," Dan said. Suddenly the bell rang. "We are so late."

"Oh, who cares?" Chuck asked. They walked a little while until they parted ways for their final class. As Nate and Dan went into their classrooms, Chuck walked to the main office. He entered casually and saw the secretary lady sitting at her desk. Chuck smiled as he saw her.

"Hello, Mrs. Gute." The lady looked up at him and shook her head.

"Chuck, Chuck, Chuck. Did you get yourself in trouble again?" she asked. Chuck smirked. Mrs. Gute reminded him of his mother, before she walked out on him and his dad. Mrs. Gute had always been nice to him, even on his worst days.

"Actually, it's a miracle. I'm only here to check the lost and found." The secretary stood up and went to the closet behind her. She pulled out a bunch of keys and found the one that would open it.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"Are there any checkbooks in there?" Chuck asked. Mrs. Gute opened the closet and looked inside. There were many crates stacked up with ties, pencils, shoes, and other various things. Chuck wondered how anyone could get by without their shoes.

"Yeah, there's three. Did you lose one?" Mrs. Gute asked.

"Yes," Chuck replied.

"What did yours look like?"

Chuck froze as he tried to remember what Blair's checkbook looked like. He remembered seeing her pulling it out, and that it had a navy cover.

"It's navy blue," Chuck said. "And it has the initials BW."

"This one?" Mrs. Gute asked. She presented to him Blair's checkbook. Chuck nodded and smiled, praying that she wouldn't look for the identity inside. She handed it to him without a second thought. "Here you go."

"Thank you Mrs. Gute," Chuck said. He turned, about to leave.

"Charles, what does BW stand for?" Mrs. Gute suddenly asked. Chuck turned to look at her and smiled.

"Bart Willice. It's my dad's first and middle name," Chuck lied. Mrs. Gute raised an eyebrow, and Chuck drew in a breath.

"Thank God that he didn't name you after his middle name," she said. Chuck let out a nervous laugh.

"I will. Thank you." Chuck left the office and closed the door. He slid Blair's checkbook into his pocket. He grinned all the way to class, all through class, and when he left school.

If he knew Carter Baizen, all of his troubles with him would end forever at seven fifteen. If he didn't, then Chuck knew he was not only dead but buried too.

* * *

Nate Archibald hummed to himself as he sat down on the couch. It was just a lazy Friday evening. He loved having moments just to himself; it was very rare when he wasn't busy. 

Nate turned on the TV and saw that his mom had left the old show channel on. Nate recognized the show on TV. It was one of his mom's favorites: "One Day at a Time." Nate saw a girl on TV, standing next to a boy and in front of two adults.

"Mom, dad," the girl said. "This is my boyfriend, Chuck Bass."

Nate couldn't believe what he just heard. He laughed, then switched the channel for fear that his name would come up too. He was halfway through an episode of "Smallville" when his phone suddenly rang. Nate reached over and picked it up off of the side table.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you?!" Nate jumped up.

"Blair?"

"No, Jessica Simpson. Yes, it's me! I've been waiting at the restaurant for an hour! Where are you?!"

Nate turned and looked at the clock. It was seven. He was supposed to have met Blair for dinner an hour ago.

"Oh my God Blair, I'm so sorry!" Nate ran to his room and grabbed some dress pants out of a drawer. "I completely forgot!"

"You _forgot_?! Nate, I haven't talked to you all week. I've been sick for four days. How could you forget our date?!"

"I'm sorry, Blair. I just have a lot on my mind. The guys and I had some drama with the band today, and--"

"Look Nate, don't give me excuses. Just come as quick as you can." Blair hung up the phone and sighed. She normally would have screamed at him, but she didn't this time. She just looked down at her short, elegant black dress and flattened out the bottom, deep in thought.

Ten minutes later, Nate arrived. He was dressed in a grey suit with a matching tie and a burgundy dress shirt underneath. His blonde hair had grown out a little longer, and he had combed it back nicely. He smiled warmly as he greeted her and carried a bunch of white daisies in his hand.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Blair." He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the head. She didn't respond. He handed out the flowers. "These are for you." Blair took the daisies and smelt them. The sweet fragrance entered her nostrils and soothed her for a moment.

"They're beautiful, Nate. Thank you." Nate smiled.

"I know I've screwed up. But we'll have fun tonight, okay?" Blair looked down at the flowers, avoiding his gaze. Nate's happy expression turned worried.

"No, it's not okay." Blair looked up, realizing that she couldn't keep her head down and say this to him. She looked right up into his concerned cerulean eyes, and for a moment she felt sorry. "I told you that we could start over, but I can't keep avoiding the truth."

"What?" Nate asked. Blair sighed and clutched the flowers in her hands, just to hold something. She grasped the stems so tightly that the flowers began to wither.

"Nate, I'm not in love with you. I haven't been in love with you for years. I was just under this delusion in which I thought I was." Nate's eyes widened, not expecting her to say those words. "I care about you, I truly do. I know you care about me too. But caring about someone isn't loving them. We care deeply about our friends, but we don't love them. That's what we've always been, Nate: really close friends."

"What are you saying?" Nate asked. "Are you breaking up with me?" Blair closed her eyes and sighed.

"Yes." Nate's mouth dropped open, and he stood in shock until Blair opened her eyes and looked at him again.

"Blair, I totally screwed up tonight. I've screwed up a lot, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. We can work this out, I know we can." Blair stared into his eyes for a few moments, and then slowly shook her head.

"We've tried to work it out so many times. Every time we can never make things right."

"I'll change, I will!" Nate exclaimed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Blair smiled a little.

"That's just it. People don't change, Nate. They can alter their original selves a little bit, but they never completely change."

"If this is just about tonight…"

"No, it's not." Blair felt herself getting upset that he didn't understand. She was trying to let him go gently, and he was making it awfully hard. "I was going to tell you this tonight anyway. It's about everything, Nate. It's about how you didn't say you loved me, how you're never there when I need you, how you can't care less about me sometimes."

"I do care, I do!"

"Yes, you care like an unreliable friend! _Not _like a boyfriend! Not like a man I could love!" Blair took a deep breath. Nate's sad puppy dog expression was killing her. Her voice became caring. "Nate, you're a nice person, and a really gorgeous guy. The girl of your dreams is out there, waiting for you. She's just not me." There was a long pause.

"I don't love Serena, Blair," Nate suddenly said. "I love you." Blair's mouth dropped open.

"What?!"

"If this is about Serena, I'm totally over her. You said you forgave me for that whole thing. If you're breaking up with me based on that, then you're the hypocrite, sweetheart! You said you would forgive me and now you're not! So fine, think what you want and break up with me, because it's not true!" Nate was rambling nonsense, and he knew it. Blair looked at him with disgust in her eyes. He had literally pushed bile up to the tip of her throat with his obliviousness. Blair normally would have stalked off in an angry fit, but she covered it up with a plastic smile.

"Goodbye, Nate." Blair turned on her heels and walked away. Nate stood in silence as he watched her go, feeling empty inside. He then looked at the restaurant, decided it looked like it had good linguini, and walked in.

Blair walked down a few blocks, not knowing where she was going. She just had to get away from him. He really _didn't _understand. She realized that she had made the right decision. After walking until her heels hurt her feet, Blair decided to sit down. She found some steps leading up to a business building and sat on them. She sighed and leaned against the handrail. She had done it. She had just broken up with the man of her dreams, Nathaniel Archibald.

And she couldn't care less.

Blair reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She found her phonebook and scrolled down to the C's. She smiled as she saw the name of the person she was looking for, and then pressed call.

* * *

Minutes earlier, Carter Baizen leaned up against the wall of the infamous burlesque house. He had taken a peek inside before going behind the building, and decided that he would definitely be back in a few minutes. Carter pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and searched for a lighter in his coat. 

"Looking for something?"

Carter jumped at the sudden, deep voice. He smiled cockily once he saw who it was.

"Well well, you showed up. How does it feel to know you've been beaten, Chuck?"

Chuck just smirked, and Carter was surprised by his confident attitude. Chuck was dressed in a black suit and a coat that covered it. His pale face stood out against the surrounding darkness, and for a moment, Carter felt frightened and he didn't know why.

"Better than you think," Chuck said. His low voice did nothing to ease Carter's sudden, sick feeling. Carter shook it off, thinking of the money. He found a lighter and lit his cigarette.

"Enough chit-chat. Where's the money?" Carter asked sharply. Chuck slickly reached into the pocket of his black pants and felt the thin paper at the bottom.

"I wrote you a check," Chuck said. "You'll have to clear it."

"That's fine," Carter replied. He blew some white cigarette smoke in Chuck's face as he reached to grab it. Chuck didn't react, holding the upper-left-hand corner of the check as he handed it over. Carter saw the words "500,000" and "paid to the order of: Carter Baizen," and he grinned with yellow teeth.

"You'll have to sign the back," Chuck said, handing him a pen that he had kept in his pocket. Carter turned the check over and smiled gladly as he took the pen. As he signed his name, Chuck hid his desire to smirk. Carter was signing away his soul to the devil.

Carter finished and handed the pen back to Chuck. Then he folded the check in half and put it in his inner jacket pocket.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Carter asked.

"Nope, it wasn't that bad," Chuck said. Carter nodded and patted Chuck's shoulder with a cocky grin.

"See Bass, this is how the world works. You give a little, you get a little." Carter dropped his hand. "I'll see you Thursday." He walked off, thinking that he had won. As soon as he left, a devilish smile spread across Chuck's face, and the wild New York wind blew back his coat. If a passerby would have caught sight of him, they would have been shaken by an unknown fear.

"Or in hell, whichever comes first," Chuck said under his breath. He had taken a huge risk, and it had paid off. Chuck proudly walked out from behind the building and out the alley. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He was about to call his limo driver when the phone suddenly rang. Chuck flipped it open and put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Chuck?"

Chuck's mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide.

_"I'm imagining things." _

"It's Blair."

_"No I'm not." _

"Blair..." Chuck looked around, and then went back into the alleyway. "What's up?" He didn't know what else to say. There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"I just broke up with Nate."

Chuck dropped the phone, and lucky for him it didn't break. He could hear Blair calling his name from the other end. Chuck picked it up. He couldn't get over what she had just said.

"I'm sorry, I just dropped the phone."

"You dropped the phone?" Blair asked.

"Yeah," Chuck said, starting to laugh at his own foolishness.

"Loser," Blair said teasingly. She was smiling though, because she loved when he laughed. Chuck didn't laugh often, and it was a nice thing to hear.

"Where did you break up with him?" Chuck asked.

"Outside an Italian restaurant. I was going to tell him halfway through the date, but he came late."

"In other words, wait until the meal was paid for and the flowers were given to break his heart. You're very conniving, Waldorf," Chuck said. Blair grinned at the sureness in his voice.

"Well, I did learn from the best," she replied. Chuck stepped out of the alley and looked down the sidewalk both ways.

"What was the restaurant called?" he asked.

"It's a new place. Luigi's, I think," Blair said. Chuck knew where that was. He looked at the nearest street sign and realized that it was on the same street as Victrola, but down further.

"Are you at home?" Chuck asked.

"No. I kind of walked down a few blocks, just to get away. I'm sitting on some building's steps." Chuck smiled.

"Don't go anywhere," he said. He suddenly started running in the direction of the restaurant. When he passed it (not bothering to see if Nate was inside), he stopped and put the phone to his ear again. "Okay, I just passed Luigi's."

"You're all out of breath, Bass."

"That's why I don't do sports." Chuck began to walk briskly. "I think I'm getting warmer."

"Are you now?" Blair asked with a smile. She was blushing at the knowledge that he was racing to find her. Chuck passed up another block.

"So how did Nate react?" he asked.

"I think he was confused."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Blair realized that his last word sounded very close. She looked up and to her right. Chuck was standing there, a bright grin on his face. Blair smiled excitedly at the sight of him, and her heart leapt in her chest. Chuck closed his phone and Blair stood up off of the stairs. They looked at one another for a few minutes, as if they each couldn't believe the other was real.

"Hey, we're both in black," Blair noticed. Chuck nodded.

"They say that two great minds think alike, and I think I can say with all honesty that ours outmatch anyone's on the Upper East Side," Chuck said.

"Conceded much, Bass?" Blair asked, beaming at the compliment to them both. They paused and looked at one another for a few more seconds.

"Well Waldorf, he's gone, and I'm here." Chuck cocked an eyebrow. "What do you propose?" Blair grinned, and she felt her blood starting to rush.

"I've made my decision. It took a while, but I finally discovered what I'm going to do." Chuck's heart skipped a beat, even though he already knew.

"Go ahead and say it," Chuck urged. He wanted to hear it more than anything. Blair sighed and grinned brightly. Her eyes sparkled with happiness as the words left her mouth.

"I want to be with you. I'm done with this life of pretending perfection and chasing men who could never love me. You mean so much more than the rebound guy, Chuck, and I think I've just proved that." Chuck could barely contain his joy, but somehow he managed to for another statement. As badly as he wanted this, he wanted to remind her what she was getting herself into.

"You do know what you're risking, Waldorf. The world will continue to watch us like hawks, even more so than before. Your reputation could be ruined forever." Blair nodded slowly, and answered with a warm smile.

"I know that. But it's worth everything…you're worth everything."

Chuck grinned as he paused.

"Are you sure?"

Blair lifted a hand to her open mouth, remembering the first time he had asked her that. She felt tears of joy welling up in her eyes, as if he had just proposed to her. She smiled as the tears began to flow.

"More sure then I've ever been in my life!" Blair exclaimed. She ran as fast as a jackrabbit over to him, not caring about scuffing up her high heels. Chuck grinned as she hopped into his arms with a squeal of delight.

Blair had finally found what she had been searching for in the in-crowd, in her eating disorder, in Nate's eyes: confidence. Chuck had always made her feel confident, and now she was back in his arms. She hadn't been so happy in her entire life. For once, Blair was secure with herself and her decision. She was sure of who and where she wanted to be.

Chuck held her as though he would never let go. He couldn't believe she chose him. It was as if he had solved all of his problems and achieved all of his dreams in the same night. He knew that Nate would figure out what was going on sooner or later. He just closed his eyes and pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. He had her now, and that was all that mattered.

Chuck placed Blair down so that her feet touched the ground, and they looked into each other's eyes softly. They breathed in and out at the same time, and the whole world around them vanished. They moved in slowly and closed their eyes as soon as their lips met. They held onto each other as they kissed, keeping each other warm in the cold night. The kiss tasted better then the most exquisite chocolate, for they both had yearned for it for so long.

Blair suddenly felt herself being whisked downward, and she opened her eyes wide. Chuck was above her, looking down and smiling that genuine smile that she adored. He was dipping her backwards, and she felt his strong hands on her shoulders and her lower back supporting her. Blair turned red at his gaze, and her cheeks began to hurt from grinning so much, but she didn't stop.

Chuck bent down and kissed her once more, and Blair nearly lost her mind.

The moment was nothing she had ever dreamed of, yet it was so perfect and unbelievably real. _He _was unbelievably real. Perfect was another story, but Blair was done with perfection. Perfection had gotten her nothing but false promises and lies on top of lies--Chuck's complete opposite.

When Chuck gently pulled away, he swept her back onto her feet so quickly that Blair saw her life flash before her eyes. It ended with Chuck's dark eyes looking at her lovingly.

"What's next, Waldorf? We have the whole night, and we live in the greatest city in the world. You decide," Chuck whispered. Blair beamed, thinking of having a repeat of what they had done in the music room. Then she remembered what Chuck said: they had all night. She slowly brought her arm up through his with a tender smile. She had missed just talking to him and having him listen to her every word, coming up with sarcastic one-liners in response. She missed just spending time with him--_that_ was what she wanted more than anything.

"Well Bass, since you're new at the whole dating thing, I'll take you through it." They started walking slowly down the sidewalk, and they both noticed the bright streetlights dancing in each other's eyes. "How about we go somewhere and eat, and then go to Central Park, and then go back to your hotel room?" Blair wouldn't be throwing up her dinner, and she wouldn't be ashamed to be seen with the common New Yorkers in Central Park.

Chuck smiled wickedly at the mention of the hotel room, and his eyes peered so that she knew he was thinking naughty thoughts. In the blink of an eye his expression changed to the form of the soft angel that Blair had woken up to.

"That sounds like a plan," he answered smoothly. They continued walking arm-in-arm down the glittering streets of the Upper East Side, their hearts lighter than air.

* * *

Carter Baizen walked out of Victrola at nine forty-five at night. It was very early, but he had brought less cash than he had expected. Or possibly he had gotten too drunk and had thrown all of his money at the dancers. It was certainly possible, for he couldn't really remember what he had done. 

Carter grabbed onto the handrail as he walked down the steps in a drunken haze. The world around him was very blurry.

_"Fuck, I got wasted too fast," _he thought. Through his distorted vision he managed to spot a yellow vehicle. He ran up to it and nearly tripped over nothing in the process.

"Cabby, I need a ride to the bank ten blocks down, stat!" Carter yelled. He sounded like an ER doctor. The driver, a handsome man with dark brown hair and blue eyes, turned and looked at him. He was dressed very casually, and didn't look like someone rich at all.

"I'm not a taxi, sir. Yellow is just the color of my car." The man suddenly noticed that Carter was as pale as a ghost, and sweating profusely. "Are you alright?"

Carter bent down and threw up, and the man winced at the grotesque sounds. The man pulled his car over to the side and ran over to help the stranger. Carter was still bent down and covering the sidewalk with indigested booze. People walking by screamed and stared, and cars driving by immediately slowed down to see what was going on. Most of them regretted doing so.

The man whistled and nabbed a taxi. Once Carter came up for air, the man led him inside and handed the driver some money.

"Take him home," the man said.

"No, I need to go somewhere," Carter said through deep gasps. He looked at the man before he could argue. "Thank you." The man smiled.

"Just don't throw up in the back seat," the man said. He started turn around.

"Wait! What's your name?" Carter suddenly asked. The man turned back.

"Rufus Humphrey," he answered. "I'm not from here, though. I was just heading to pick up my daughter at my son's girlfriend's house, if that makes any sense." Carter smiled.

"Well Rufus Humphrey, if I ever do find you, I'll pay you back somehow." If there was one thing Carter learned about living the life of the rich, it was that no one should ever be in debt to anyone else, even if that anyone else was a total stranger.

"Don't worry about it," Rufus said. Then he turned around and went walking towards his yellow car.

As the taxi rolled along, Carter suddenly realized that he knew that last name.

_"Where have I heard that before?" _he wondered. Before he could guess, the taxi had stopped in front of Carter's bank. Carter got out, and then suddenly realized who had the same last name. He smirked. _"I wonder if he and Dan are related." _

Carter walked into the bank, still a little shaky. His vision was pretty much back to normal but his head was pounding. He walked over to the nearest clerk, a young woman.

"Sir, we're about to close in fifteen minutes," she said. Carter reached into his coat pocket.

"I know, but I need this bad. I need it tonight; I don't have any money left to get home." The woman recognized the drunken tone in his voice, and realized it was best to give him what he wanted.

"Alright then," she said. Carter pulled the check Chuck had given him out of his coat pocket and handed it to her.

"Can I get some of that cashed and the rest cleared?" he asked. The woman looked at the check and her eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"You're Carter Baizen?"

"Yes."

"Sir, this check belongs to a Miss Blair Waldorf, and the check isn't signed by anyone."

Carter's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked sharply.

"The name on the check is Blair Waldorf, and her signature is not on here."

Carter's mouth dropped open and went dry. He didn't know how Chuck got his hands on Blair's checks. He thought she had found her checkbook. Carter slowly moved his hand up, his palm open.

"Give me the check back," he demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir, unless you can give me an explanation on why Miss Waldorf's signature is not on here and your printed name is."

Carter glared harshly, his stomach twisting like there was a roller coaster inside.

_"Why didn't I look at the damn thing more closely?!"_

"Well, you see, Blair Waldorf is a friend of mine."

"So she gave you this check?" the woman asked.

"No, Chuck did!" Carter exclaimed, getting nervous.

"And who is Chuck?"

"Charles Bass! The son of Bart Bass, the huge business guy! He wrote my name, not me!" Carter started yelling, and the woman was taken aback. However, her voice remained stern. She reached out from under her desk and pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Please sign and print your name, Mr. Baizen."

Carter scowled as he picked up a pen. He tried to make his printing and signature as unreadable as possible, but it was hard. When he handed it back to the clerk. She compared his work to the check, and her eyes widened.

"Mr. Baizen, your printing matches the one on the front of the check, and the signature matches the back."

"That's impossible. I signed the back, but Chuck wrote my name on the front. It can't be the same printing," Carter said harshly.

"So you did sign the back?"

"Yes," Carter answered.

"Then how can you expect me to believe that the printing on the front, which matches yours exactly, belongs to Chuck Bass?"

"It was him. He…I…I don't know!" Carter exclaimed. "He just gave it to me!"

Carter slammed his hands down on the counter and looked up at the woman with fierce eyes. "All I know is it wasn't me, alright?!" He leaned forward and got up in her face, and she smelt the alcohol seeping from his breath. "I _did not_ attempt check fraud!" The woman backed up away from him and almost fell over a cart filled with envelopes.

"Security! Security!" she yelled. Carter realized what was going on, and he began to make a dash for the door. He wasn't quick enough, and soon he was harshly being forced on his knees by a security guard.

"What was he doing?" one of the guards asked. The clerk came out from behind her post, shocked from her near fall.

"He gave me a check that lacks a signature, and his printing matched the one on here perfectly."

Carter's face fell. Chuck must have done some copying trick with the printing on the check. There was no way he could prove that Chuck was involved now. Carter cursed himself for not looking over the check. How stupid could he be?

_"Son of a bitch."_

"We'll have to call a cop to come and question him," one of the security guards said.

Carter let the guards lead him into an office and lock the door behind him, more furious than he had ever been in his life.

* * *

The elevator door opened just as Blair pushed Chuck against the elevator wall and threw herself on him. Their lips met in a passionate, hungry kiss that couldn't have been separated for anything. Chuck's hands clutched to Blair's back. He let out a low groan as their kiss became deeper. Blair hoisted her leg up and wrapped it around Chuck's waist, running her fingers through his velvet-soft hair. Suddenly Chuck pulled away. 

"My room," he whispered. Blair smiled and followed him out of the elevator, across to his suite. Chuck pulled the key out of his pocket and tried to unlock the door.

"Shit Chuck, hurry up!" Blair exclaimed, taking deep breaths. She wanted him so bad, and she wasn't going to let the moment go away before she got what she desired. He was her drug, one that she would never try to quit ever again.

Chuck's palms were starting to sweat from the excitement, but he managed to get the key in and twist the door open. As soon as they got inside, Blair hopped on top of Chuck and wrapped her arms and legs around him as she took his mouth in another deep kiss. The door closed slowly on its own. When they came up for air, Chuck grinned wickedly.

"You're feisty tonight," he whispered.

"You have no idea…" Blair couldn't finish her sentence. Instead she kissed him again and started to pull his jacket off as she did so. Chuck moved one of his hands down her back and squeezed her ass, and Blair moaned as the blood flowed hot through her veins.

As soon as his jacket was off, Chuck lowered her back down to her feet and together they began loosening up his shirt. Once that was accomplished they continued making out, and Blair felt his chest against hers in the dark. His hands moved toward the clasps on her dress, and hers moved to his pants.

In a matter of milliseconds they were both undressed and occupied in another passionate kiss. When they pulled away to breathe Blair took Chuck by the hand.

"Where's the bed? I can hardly see," she said, eagerness straining her voice. Chuck laughed in his throat, partially because he was amused with her attitude and partially because he wanted to tease her.

"Such impatience," he said slowly. Chuck took his hand out of hers and placed both of his hands on her waist. He leaned up against her from behind. Blair felt his hot breath on her upper neck as he whispered in her ear. "Take it slow...I know I will." Blair gasped heavily, both from what he described and his orgasm-inducing voice. Chuck suddenly moved down and kissed her neck, and then he moved down to her shoulder. Blair decided that she couldn't wait anymore; she whipped around and pulled him close to her. Then she walked with him until she found the bed through the darkness. She kissed him again and rotated so that his back faced the bed. She pushed him downward onto the bed as their lips locked.

Chuck pulled her down with him and they continued to kiss with Blair on top. Blair pulled away and stared down at him and he stared back, his piercing eyes making her stomach coil with desire. Chuck held her gaze, and she breathed heavily as he held her in his sexual spell. Then he looked her up and down, his mouth remaining in the form of a delicious smirk.

"You're going first," Chuck commanded, referring to the oral sessions they would have before the real thing. Blair grinned and shook her head.

"No," she said. "I'm being bad tonight." Blair loved having control over him. She had always been the one in control; it was what she loved. Except for in the bedroom (or the limo, or the music room); Chuck had always been the one to dominate her in that situation. She loved it, no doubt, but this time she was confident in herself.

And she decided to tell him so.

"I want to hear you scream out my name with that sexy voice. I want to see your eyes turn as big as saucers when the pleasure hits."

Chuck's mouth dropped open, but only for a moment before it formed into a devilish smile.

"You're getting me so hot," he whispered. Blair grinned sinfully. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. She threw her mouth back into his and they kissed once more to stoke the fire. That was when Blair pulled away and looked down at him. Her eyes moved from his anxious face to his buffed chest, and then all the way down.

"I've got it," she said through deep breaths.

"What _are _you going to do to me, Waldorf?"

He sounded so vulnerable when he said it, and he lay beneath her, helpless and hers for the taking. Blair thought she would die any second.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang.

She threw herself back on Chuck and her hands clutched his muscular arms, forcing him down. _Nothing_ was going to ruin this moment.

Their lips met as the phone continued to ring. Suddenly there was a bleeping noise, and Blair remembered that she had left her phone on speaker.

"Miss Waldorf, this is Harry Spangler, the chief officer of the local police department. It is of the utmost importance that I speak with you. As soon as you get this message, call the police station office number, which I am about to leave you."

Blair had pulled herself up, her eyes widened. Why would the police be calling so late at night?

"One, seven…" the cop began to say. Blair hopped off of Chuck and ran for the phone, upset and panting. Chuck was even more upset, for not only was he extremely turned on but after Blair took that call she would probably never want to see him again.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Blair exclaimed angrily through the phone. "What?!"

Chuck winced. He sat upright and looked at her, waiting for the cop to break the news. Blair's eyes went from angry to concerned.

"Yes, I know Carter Baizen…yes…yes…no, I didn't issue him a check. No…no…" Blair looked over at Chuck, a confused expression on her face. Chuck sighed, knowing his name would come up soon.

"Charles Bass?" Blair asked into the phone. "Yes, we're very well acquainted. Yes, well…alright, I will. Goodbye." Blair snapped her phone shut, her last words as bitter as poison. She looked at Chuck and folded her arms icily. Chuck looked down, wishing he could just melt into the ground and disappear.

"I just received a call from the police station. Carter Baizen is there, being questioned for check fraud. They say he produced a check with my name on it, and that he's been telling them an nonsensical story." She sighed, her voice becoming harsher by the minute. "One of his claims is that you gave him that check, and they said they'll be calling you too. They want me to go down to the station tomorrow afternoon for questioning."

Chuck looked up slowly, right into the demanding eyes of Blair.

"Chuck, is there something that you want to tell me?"

* * *

Nate smiled as he put down his glass. 

"Give me another," he said to the bartender. The bartender took his glass and filled it up with more alcohol. He handed it back to Nate with some concern in his eyes.

"Rough night?" the bartender asked. Nate almost laughed at the situation. Usually his best friend was the one to drink away the problems, not him.

"Well, the girlfriend that I've had since kindergarten dumped me. But the dinner was really good." Nate had been in Luigi's longer than he expected. The drinks he had ordered had been good, and the bar had looked tempting.

"That sucks. Relationships are a pain," the bartender said. Nate smiled.

"I don't think I could be you. There's probably a million other guys who come in with the same problems every day, and you have to listen to all of them."

"It's not so bad here, since it's a restaurant bar. But I have this friend, and wow is he messed up sometimes," the bartender said. Nate took a sip of his drink, and suddenly he felt his phone vibrating in his pants. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

"Maybe it's all for the best, though," Nate said. "Things were getting rough between us anyway." The bartender nodded, then walked away to serve another customer. Nate flipped open his phone, and the screen read "one new text message."

Nate opened the message up and his eyes widened.

**Gossip Girl ****here,**** and I have the most shocking news of the century. **

**You all know B, our UES princess who only had eyes for her prince, N? And you all know C, that handsome, heartless playboy who cared about no one but himself? Of course you do. ****They are, after all, the most manipulative and drama-causing people of our time. **

**C and B were spotted leaving a classy restaurant ****together. They stood outside talking and doing other things ****for a few minutes before C's limo showed up and the two got in together. Where were they going? I have a good guess. ****;) But I thought that N and B were supposed to be on a date tonight. Something must have happened, because I am **_**never **_**wrong. Could N have broken up with B, and is C the rebound? But B didn't look sad at all…**

**I know;**** I couldn't believe my eyes either. ****All I can say is that first S surprised us with ****lonelyboy****, and now this. I don't know if I like where this is going, but at least it keeps me on my toes. **

**Take a look below if you don't believe me. After all, a picture is with a thousand words.**

**XOXO **

**Gossip Girl**

Nate's finger scrolled down slowly, as if he were five years old and his mother told him not to look at the pictures on the cell phone. He saw his ex-girlfriend and his best friend standing in the middle of the sidewalk outside of a restaurant. Nate recognized the place--he had been there before. His mouth dropped open as he saw both of Blair's gloved hands in Chuck's. His fingers were wrapped around hers and he looked like he was telling her something, for she was smiling giddily in the picture.

Nate scrolled down to the next one, and they were standing in the same spot, except that they were standing close together. Nate's stomach twisted as he saw Chuck's arms around Blair's back, and Blair's arms up around Chuck's shoulders. He gulped hardly as he looked down at the next picture.

Chuck and Blair were mouth-to-mouth kissing. A small whimper of shock escaped from Nate's throat as the image began to burn itself into his memory. He looked back and forth from Chuck's face to Blair's. He continued doing that for minutes on end, deciding which one of them he was angrier at.

The thing that disgusted him the most is that they both looked so happy.

Nate looked at the rest of the pictures, which were zoomed-in and far away pictures of the make out scene. There was one picture where they had stopped, and then in the next they were back at it again.

Nate's eyes looked like those of a little boy who had just realized that the world isn't full of all good people. He knew that Chuck was sleazy, but he had thought there was a heart in him somewhere and not just a deep, black pit.

_"What kind of friend takes advantage of __his friend's ex?!" _Nate was so hurt, angry, and outraged that he forgot that Blair had broken up with him, not the other way around. Even if he did realize that, it would not have mattered to him. His mind was too clouded with thoughts of hatred.

Nate snapped the phone shut. He thought about calling Chuck and telling him what he knew, but then he decided he wanted it to be better than that. He wanted to confront Chuck personally. He wanted to let him know how much he despised him.

Just then, his phone bleeped. Nate opened it and another text message came up. He read it through furious eyes.

**Hey guys, I'm calling an emergency band meeting tomorrow. Since school is obviously closed, we'll have it at my house later in the evening. There are no instruments except my guitar, so it will be a good chance to get things straight about plan E and let Carter know about our problems. My dad and sis will be gone, don't worry. Let me know if you can or can't make it. **

**Dan**

Below that, Dan had put the address of the Humphrey lot. Nate grinned. It would be the perfect chance to tell off Chuck. It would be in front of others too, and Nate knew how embarrassing that would be.

Nate typed back a text to Dan telling him that he could make it. Then he closed his phone again and smiled as he leaned back in his chair. There was one thing he had learned from Blair that he was going to remember.

When Serena had come home and Blair had found out that Nate had slept with her, Blair came up with all of these revenge plans. Nate remembered Chuck telling him how bad she was being, and how much he liked it.

_"If you thought that was bad, wait until I do the same to you. And this time I guarantee you won't enjoy it__, Chuck Bass, you man-whore son of a bitch." _

Nate lifted the glass to his lips and guzzled down all of the liquid. He slammed it down on the countertop, enjoying the warmth pulsing through him. He smiled evilly, the first time he had ever done so in his life.

_"You won't enjoy it at all."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the next chapter!**** Yeah, it's very long and up sooner than normal but I had one of those creative streaks and couldn't stop writing!**** Just to be warned, there is a l****ot of CB fluff in this one and some DS. There's character angst throughout the chapter, though.**** Enjoy! **

**The Music in Me: Chapter 5**

Chuck looked down at his folded hands and then back up to his girlfriend of four and a half hours. She had her clothes back on and now stood staring out the window of his suite. She gazed down at all of the cars cruising down the streets below, and all of the lights that still illuminated New York so late in the night.

Chuck had told her that he had used her check to get Carter in trouble. Blair had been outraged and nearly left in an angry state--before Chuck told her the reason why he had to get Carter in trouble. Blair had sighed and walked over to the windows, her mind filled with many thoughts. It had been painfully quiet for so many minutes that Chuck felt himself starting to sweat.

"So it was blackmail, was it?" Blair suddenly asked. Chuck jumped slightly at the sudden voice. Or was it his nerves, making him edgy? He didn't know. He just nodded and realized that she still had her back to him.

"Yeah. He said that if I didn't give him the money, he would tell Nate about us." Chuck ran his hand over the quilt that covered up to his waist. "I couldn't let that happen, Blair. You know I couldn't." Blair turned her head and looked at him, holding his gaze. The light from outside casted through the windows on the both of them, and they could see the tension in each other's eyes.

"Why?" she asked, wanting to hear it. Chuck's eyes darted downward.

"Your reputation was at risk," Chuck said, barely audible. He was still ashamed that Carter had used his feelings for her against him. If Chuck hadn't been wallowing in momentary self pity, he would have seen a little smile form at the corners of Blair's lips--and then fade.

"So where's the checkbook?" she asked.

"In my pants," Chuck answered. Before he could get up, Blair walked over to Chuck's black pants that lay on the floor in a bundle. She felt through both of the pockets until her hand laid upon the navy blue checkbook with her initials on it. Blair stood up and looked at the checkbook in her hand, then back over at Chuck. Chuck expected her to become furious again, but instead when she spoke her voice shook with a little sadness.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, almost in a whisper. Suddenly the sadness vanished and her voice arose with confidence and a little bitterness. "You should have just told me about what Carter was doing, instead of going behind my back like that."

"I can handle my own affairs," Chuck replied bitterly. Blair's voice became harsh.

"You always do things underhandedly, Chuck. First the debutant ball, now this."

Chuck looked up at her from under lowered eyebrows. His chest heaved in and out as he inhaled a breath to try to calm himself down.

"Don't _ever_ mention that night again!" he demanded in a sharp, angered tone. Blair cocked an eyebrow, acting like she couldn't be fazed by him. Deep down though, she knew how much memories of that night pained him, although he would never say so. She crossed her arms and sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Chuck--especially since she had just got him back.

"I'm sorry." Blair's voice was less bitter than before, but it still had enough harshness to let Chuck know that she wasn't going to drop the subject. "But I do need to know why you kept that from me. I mean I know we were distant at the time, but that matter did involve me somewhat." Chuck looked down again, and there was a long pause. Blair continued to stare at him, wanting an answer. Chuck looked back up, reluctant to admit.

"Because I knew that if I told you, you would never consider coming back to me."

"What did that have to do with stealing my checkbook?!" Blair asked, about to roll her eyes. Chuck's tone became so venomous that she could hardly believe it.

"It had _everything _to do with it! If I told you, you would have thought that being with me would cause even more of a risk than it already is! You would have gotten Carter off my back, and then you would have turned around and left me again without a second thought! Back to old Nathaniel, just like always."

"Why would you think I would do something like that?!" Blair exclaimed, her voice rising in question.

"Because all you needed was one moment to convince you about who you were going to choose. If I had come to you, you wouldn't be here right now." Blair looked at him in silence for a few moments.

"Do you really think that, Chuck?" she asked. Chuck raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out why she sounded hurt.

"What?" he asked.

"That it was just one moment that convinced me to be with you? That it was just because Nate was late once again?"

Chuck saw her eyes widen, and he cursed the butterflies forming in his stomach.

"I honestly don't know what you were thinking, Blair. I just took everything I remembered from the past and came to a conclusion." Blair was a little disappointed.

_"You gave him reason to think that way, you know," _her mind told her. She hated that voice in the back of her head. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to Chuck. She looked right into his eyes. The anger and the disappointment that she felt was gone. Chuck looked almost confused as to what she was going to say next. He surprised himself because he usually could always get into people's heads and tell what they were thinking, especially hers.

Blair took her hand and placed it gently on his. She rubbed it softly, never taking her eyes off of him.

"I know I've given you reason to think that way, but that's all in the past now." Her fingers intertwined with his. "I'm never going to leave your side again." She smiled to break the seriousness. "Unless you cheat on me. Then I'd be really pissed." Chuck smiled back and decided to play along.

"No fair, Waldorf. Archibald gets a free pass and I don't?"

"Please, that boy didn't know what he was doing. I had to tell him why he had to buy me something for Valentine's Day when we were eleven." She put her legs up on the bed and moved back so that she was by the headboard of the bed. "You're smarter than that, Bass. Nate could never figure out what was going on, let alone strategize like you can." Chuck grinned at the compliment.

"Well, I did always beat him in chess." Blair let out a laugh, and Chuck's face turned all sarcastic. "No Nate, you can't jump from one end of the board to the other! No Nate, that is not called making your piece fly and air bomb my pawns. Nathaniel, a condom is not a shortened term for a condominium!" They both laughed until they had tears at his last remark, and then they lied down once they were composed again. Blair pulled the blankets over her and cuddled comfortably next to Chuck.

"God, that kid cracks me up," Chuck said. He reached and put his arm around Blair, who stroked his hand in hers.

"Being with you is going to give me such a workout," Blair said.

"I'll say," Chuck said, a naughty glint in his eye. Blair gasped.

"I didn't mean it that way!" she blushingly exclaimed, and Chuck stifled another laugh at her expression. Blair shook her head slowly, but she smiled widely as she did so. "You have the most perverted mind ever."

"You love it," Chuck said, slowly emphasizing every syllable.

"No I don't," Blair lied, trying to be stubborn. She felt her stomach tighten as he intently held her gaze, smirking very knowingly.

"That's not what you said when you had me lying under you, stating all the things you were going to do to me," Chuck whispered smoothly. He suddenly brought his hand down from her shoulder down to her back in one swift movement, and then back up again. His fingers lightly ran across her skin. Blair got goose bumps and hated how he knew precisely how to get her going, even with the slightest motion. "Actually, you didn't tell me," Chuck said. "What _were_ you going to do?" Blair smiled, her cheeks turning red.

"You'll have to wait and see, Bass. You're not the only one with tricks, you know."

"What if I want to find out now?" Chuck whispered, leaning down close to her face. Blair faced him boldly, trying to play his game.

"You'll have to wait. I'm too tired now."

"Oh, come on!" Chuck exclaimed, sitting straight up. Blair couldn't help but laugh again.

"Well first you get me all turned on, then you get me upset, and you expect me _not _to be exhausted?" Blair asked. Chuck shook his head and laid back down.

"You're a tease," he said.

"And you're a horn dog. See? We go well together," Blair said with a smile. She brought her hand up and pushed his soft hair back a little. She smiled at the brushing warmth of his face against her hand. "Everything's better after you've waited for it, Chuck. I know that." Chuck put his arm back around her, and she felt his fingers playing with her hair.

"How do you know that?" he asked with a knowing smirk. Blair laid her cheek upon his chest. She looked up into his warm brown eyes and her face brightened.

"I waited to find someone who loved me for me, and then after searching for what seemed like an eternity, I found you. Even though you were there all along. It's like the treasure that the gold diggers look for and then they realize that it was in a spot they passed by repeatedly."

Chuck couldn't help but grin. Blair leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek, and he turned and kissed her softly on the lips once she had begun to lie back down.

"Goodnight, Bass." Chuck kept smiling, finding it funny that they were still calling each other by their last names. He had heard that some couples gave each other mushy pet names. Chuck guessed that the last names were theirs.

"Goodnight Waldorf."

Blair laid in his arms and closed her eyes. She sighed, contemplating when she was going to tell him what she was truly thinking. She was thinking of telling him the most powerful words that a woman could tell a man, in vise versa. Serena knew how Blair felt about Chuck, but she had never actually told Chuck that she was in love with him. She didn't want to scare him off, especially when he was new at the whole dating scene.

Her eyes opened slightly and saw that his were closed. Her mouth formed into an involuntary smile, loving how adorable he looked. She sighed again, repeating the words in her head that she was dying to tell him.

_"I love you, Chuck. I've loved you all along__, even if I never knew." _

If Blair had the supernatural ability to read minds, she would have discovered that Chuck was thinking the exact same thing as he fell asleep. He had just discovered it a little earlier.

* * *

Carter Baizen stared at the cement wall of the little cell in the police station. He had slept over the previous night, or at least tried to. The bed in the jail cell was as hard as cardboard and the place reeked so bad that Carter could hardly breathe.

It was early Saturday afternoon, and the cop had come by to give Carter his lunch. Carter couldn't tell what it was; it looked like a distorted version of a TV dinner. He put his fork into the stuff and made little circles with it. He hated prison. The worst part was that now he could never say "I did a lot of shit and never went to jail" ever again. Carter's eyes became filled with hatred as he thought of the person who put him there.

There was a loud echo of footsteps down the hall, and they seemed to be getting closer. A policeman walked up to Carter's cell, and began to pull out some keys.

"It's time for more questioning, Mr. Baizen." The cop found the right key and opened the barred door.

"Alright," Carter said. He stood up and stretched. "I don't want the cuffs."

"Sorry, Mr. Baizen. You've been a pretty amiable prisoner so far, but we can't take any chances." He walked over to Carter and clasped the silver cuffs over his wrists. Carter winced as the tight things pinched his skin.

_"I'll kill you for this, Bass," _he thought to himself as the cop led him to the questioning room. When he opened the door, Carter's mouth dropped open in shock.

Chuck turned around and smirked.

"Hi Carter," he said in a taunting, almost singsong voice. Carter threw him a death stare before the cop led him to a seat next to Chuck, who was dressed in his clothes from the previous night. It was a good thing that the cop had stuck to his guns and slapped the cuffs on his prisoner. Carter looked past Chuck and noticed a woman sitting next to him. She leaned in.

"Hey Carter," she said simply. Carter couldn't believe it.

"Blair?!" he asked, surprised. Blair stared him down, letting him know he was in trouble. Carter observed that her hair was wet and her makeup was fresh.

_"She must have just gotten out of the shower or something," _Carter thought.

Chuck's eyes darted to the two talking policemen. He leaned in and whispered in Carter's ear commandingly.

"Okay, listen Baizen. You just tell them about what happened the other night. You don't mention the blackmail or anything like that. We're not making a big deal out of this more than it already is. Got it?"

"No. Why would I listen to you?!" Carter asked angrily. "You're the last person I'd take orders from, you menacing bastard. I had to sit here all night away from the glamorous life out there, all because of you!" Chuck shrugged and leaned back casually.

"Well then, if that's the way you feel, then I guess I won't save your ass."

Carter shook his head, confused.

"What?" he asked. Chuck gave him a stare that warned Carter to keep his mouth shut once more. Just then the cops came over and one sat down behind the desk. Carter was still thinking about what Chuck said. He glanced back over at Chuck and Blair, who looked at the cops very comfortably. The other cop stood next to the sitting cop and held a pen and a clipboard in his hand. The sitting cop, the chief, put his hands on the desk and sighed.

"Normally, we do separate interviews to sort things out. However, we have already questioned Mr. Baizen, and Mr. Bass has assured me that this was all a misunderstanding. Therefore, I say we just give you each a chance to talk without interruptions. If this can be settled now, then I see no point of making a court case out of it."

Chuck looked at Carter with a nod and another warning stare.

"Would you care to go first?" Chuck asked. Carter nodded slowly, still trying to figure out what the hell Chuck was up to. The cop looked at Carter.

"Mr. Baizen, are you aware of the crime you committed?"

"Yes sir."

"You showed up at the Hamilton bank--very intoxicated--and you presented a check worth 500,000 dollars. This check belonged to Miss Blair Eleanor Waldorf, and her signature was not on the check. Do you deny any of this?"

Carter gulped. The chief's eyes were very unsympathetic and demanding.

"No sir." The chief sat back and put his arms behind his head. Carter's eyes darted to Chuck and Blair, and he noticed that Chuck was stroking Blair's hand gently.

"Mr. Baizen, when we questioned you before, you denied stealing Miss Waldorf's check, and you said that Mr. Charles Bartholomew Bass gave it to you. Is this the accurate story?" Carter sweat nervously and slowly nodded.

"Yes sir."

"There is nothing else you want to add?"

Carter could feel Chuck's glaring eyes on him.

"No sir."

"Very well, then." The chief turned to Blair. "Miss Waldorf, when we called you last night, you denied giving Carter the check. Is this true?"

"Yes sir," Blair answered, poised.

"How do you know Charles Bass?" Blair looked at Chuck and smiled.

"He's my boyfriend," she answered. Carter nearly jumped out of his seat in shock, but he calmed himself down.

_"It's an act," _he thought.

"Have you been dating for long?" the chief asked. Blair giggled a little and smiled warmly at Chuck, who smiled playfully back.

"You could say that. We've always known each other forever, since elementary school to be exact. But we've only became official recently."

Carter rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe Blair would degrade herself like this. He thought she had _some _dignity.

"Did you ever give Charles a check, Miss Waldorf?" the chief asked.

"Never on purpose."

"What does that mean?"

"Well sir, you see…it's very embarrassing, how stupid I was." Blair blushed, and Carter was shocked at what a good actress she was. "I left my checkbook at Charles' suite, after one night." She grinned as she looked at Chuck, then back to the cop. "He found it there and planned to give it to me. Which he did, I must add." Blair pulled out the navy blue checkbook from her purse. "I had left it on the bar because I was making one out to my best friend Serena Van Der Woodsen, who lives in the same hotel as Charles. Then he and I had started talking and I stopped writing, and one thing led to another."

The chief nodded slowly.

"When was this?" he asked.

"The night before last night: Thursday."

"Why were you writing a check to Miss Van Der Woodsen?"

"Her mother is getting married, and Serena needed some money to buy some surprise flower baskets or something," Blair said, a look of puzzlement on her face. "Don't tell anyone, but she's been a little low on her own funds. She promised to pay me back once she got her allowance."

Carter's eyes went wide in disbelief. These two were lying to police officers. And it was working.

"Can Miss Van Der Woodsen testify to this?" the chief asked.

"Oh yes! Definitely," Blair said with confidence. The chief looked at Chuck.

"Your turn, Mr. Bass. Do you agree with the stories of Mr. Baizen and Miss Waldorf?"

"Yes I do, sir," Chuck said with a self-assured smile.

"Now then, your questions are the most important. If what Miss Waldorf says is true, and you were going to give her back the checkbook, how did Carter Baizen end up with one of her checks without a signature?" Chuck continued to smile, and he spoke with assurance.

"This is why Blair and I were made for each other, sir. We're both such dumb asses at times." Blair tried not to laugh, and Carter was still in disbelief as to what was happening.

"What is the story?" the chief asked. Chuck leaned back and sighed casually. He moved his broad shoulders back and forth slightly, trying to flatten the hardened cushion on the back of the chair.

"I had Blair's checkbook and I meant to give it back to her. Before I saw her last night, I saw Mr. Carter Baizen. We're old friends and we decided to get some lunch and catch up on a few things. Well, we had lunch, and Carter broke the news to me that he is financially in trouble. His investments haven't been working out for him lately." The chief looked at Carter.

"Is this true?"

"Yes sir. I lost a lot of money recently," Carter said. However, he wasn't lying; he did lose some money, even though he told Chuck he hadn't. Carter's life strategy-- two be a two-story liar--had usually always worked for him. He hadn't lost too much money, but he was glad that if the cops did a background check they would see he wasn't being insincere--for once. The chief turned back to Chuck.

"So you wrote him a check to help him out?"

"Exactly," Chuck replied.

"Why was it Miss Waldorf's check?"

"That's the dumb part," Chuck said with a little laugh. "I passed Carter the wrong checkbook, and he filled it out. Then he tore it off and kept it. He didn't check the name, which I could fully understand. After all, he didn't ever think that I would've been stupid enough to pull out Blair's checks."

"There's still one important matter, Mr. Bass. You didn't sign the check."

Chuck smiled a little wryly.

"I didn't want to have to say it in front of my girlfriend, but I suppose I have to." Chuck cleared his throat. "Carter and I went to lunch, and we stopped at Victrola afterward. It's a burlesque house that my father has invested in. I had a little too much to drink, and I couldn't sign with coordination. That probably was why I pulled out the incorrect checkbook, too. Carter wasn't as bad yet, so he was able to write his signature. He told me not to worry, and that I could see him again to sign it. After I left, I guess Carter drank a little more, and he went to the bank, not remembering that I didn't sign it." The chief nodded, believing the story. Blair gasped and looked at Chuck with an open mouth. She looked horrified and outraged.

"You promised me you wouldn't go to that awful burlesque house anymore!" she exclaimed. Chuck looked apologetic.

"I know, I know! I'm sorry Blair, but a man has needs!"

"I'm your girlfriend! I should fulfill all the needs you have!" Blair exclaimed angrily. She stood up. Carter kept his face composed, warning himself not to laugh. "We just did it the night before, how much more can you ask for?!" Blair asked, tears coming to her eyes.

"It wasn't that good, Blair. I'm sorry," Chuck said, turning from her and looking down.

"Oh it wasn't, hunh?! You seemed to enjoy my lips on your--"

"Please! Miss Waldorf, sit down!" the chief commanded. Blair did as she was told, her face red and upset. "I didn't mean for anything bad to by revealed by this, but this matter had to be settled."

"We understand," Chuck said, still not looking at Blair. The chief looked at Carter.

"Mr. Baizen, is that story true?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, I hope you've all learned a lesson," the chief said. "Be careful with your checks, and don't drink so much." The chief knew they were all underage, but he knew what messing with the family of Bart Bass and Eleanor Waldorf would get him.

"I've learned that," Carter said, faking an assured nod.

"Oh, someone is going to get taught a lesson, alright!" Blair exclaimed. She stood up, picked up her purse, and walked for the door.

"Come on Blair, don't leave!" Chuck exclaimed. Blair opened the door and walked right out. Chuck stood up to go after her, but then the door slammed shut. Chuck sighed and turned to Carter.

"Let's go, Carter. I'll go after her as soon as we get you home." The policeman removed Carter's handcuffs and they left the questioning room. The cop gave Carter back his cell phone and told him he was free to go. Carter disguised his shock as Chuck and he began to walk to the police station door. "I'm very sorry about all of this!" Chuck called out to the police as they walked away.

"It's alright, just be more careful," the chief said. The two got to the door and left, letting it slam behind them.

Chuck turned and faced Carter with a smirk.

"You did what I said." He cocked an eyebrow and smiled mockingly. "How's that for control?" He turned and started walking away, and Carter ran up to him.

"You can't just walk away!" Carter yelled. Chuck didn't look at Carter as he walked; only smiled. "You had me back there. I could've been in prison for life; all you had to do was say you didn't give me the check! Instead you make up a whole, elaborate lie?!"

"Why are you asking me why I just saved your ass, Baizen? Can't you ever just admit that you were wrong, kiss my ass a little, and move on?"

Carter stepped in front of Chuck and glared.

"There's a motive behind everything you do. You could have been done with me forever in there, and instead you defended me?! There's a reason, and I want to know what it is." Chuck smirked.

"Fine, you want a reason? Then I'll say the band. The band was the reason." Chuck tried to walk around him, but Carter wouldn't let him.

"You don't care _that_ much about the band. What's the real reason?" Carter asked. "You don't just give something for nothing, Bass. I know you too well." Chuck paused, his smirk unfading.

"Do you really? Because I could have sworn you said that you had beaten me, and yet you sat in jail for a night."

Carter's eyes widened. He was speechless. Chuck grinned, and Carter's stomach dropped. He had underestimated the most dangerous person in all of New York.

Chuck leaned in and spoke in a smarmy tone.

"Yeah, you could say it was the band. Or maybe I did it just because I am so much better than you."

Chuck walked around Carter, who stood frozen with shock.

_"Control," _Carter thought. _"It's all about control." _He knew that now he could never attempt to do anything to Chuck ever again. Chuck had clearly displayed his dominance of power. Chuck walked forward a little and opened his cell phone. There was a message from Gossip Girl, and he immediately deleted it. He got to the Dan message, then stopped walking. He turned and called out to Carter.

"I'll see you at Humphrey's tonight."

Carter turned around slowly, his mouth suspended open in shock. Never again would he mess with the seed of Bart Bass. Chuck grinned and closed his cell phone. He turned his back to Carter, and Carter watched him walk up the sidewalk. He saw Blair, the accomplice, coming out from the left side and running to Chuck. Carter now knew why Blair had looked so clean--they had been together the night before.

He watched them congratulate each other on their scheme with a gentle but long-lasting kiss. He watched Chuck's arm latch behind her shoulders as they turned to walk away. The gentle wind blew their hair back, and Blair swung her purse with one hand as she looked at Chuck with a grin. Carter was so astonished by what he was viewing that it seemed to all be in slow motion.

Chuck turned his head back around and nodded at Carter once more, his trademark smirk spread across his face.

Carter watched in horror, realizing that he had been dethroned as the king of the Upper East Side.

* * *

Dan strummed the strings with his thumb and smiled. He loved how guitars sounded.

"Are you mesmerized with sound again?" Jenny asked. Dan looked over at his sister, who stood on the other side of the counter.

"Yeah, I'm in one of my moments," Dan replied. It was Saturday evening; time for the emergency practice of Secret Addictions at the Humphrey loft.

"How is everyone in the band, anyway?" Jenny asked. Dan had only told her and his dad about the band members, just because they were family and he knew they could be trusted to keep the secret. Jenny was hanging out more with the in-crowd lately and Dan was a little skeptical about telling her, but she assured him by saying that she would love to just hear about the private drama.

"They're good," Dan said. "There've been no major problems with them. Even Chuck has been in line, surprisingly."

"Yeah, everyone saw the Gossip Girl picture of you guys on the stairs." Dan deleted every single phone message he got from Gossip Girl, so he was unaware. No wonder people were looking at him funnier than usual the day before.

"Jenny, you know I don't look at that stuff."

"Yeah yeah, I know." There was a small pause as Jenny grabbed her purse and a water bottle. "How's Nate been?" Jenny asked. Dan saw her blush a little at the name of the blonde boy.

"He's taking singing lessons and he's learning to play the bass guitar just for this," Dan said. "He's been really committed, which I didn't expect at all. He even wrote some of the songs." Jenny smiled.

"It sounds like things are looking up," she said. Dan smiled.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Now where are you off to?"

"Vanessa and I are going shopping. You remember, the girl who was supposed to be your band manager?" Jenny asked sarcastically.

"If we needed one, I would have kept her on the staff. But I think we're doing alright," Dan said.

"Me too," Jenny said with one last smile. Then she turned around and walked out the door. Dan sighed as the door closed gently behind her. He removed the guitar from around his neck and went to the fridge for something to eat. For some reason, Dan was feeling very hyped up.

"I love rock and roll!" he sang to himself. "Put another coin in the jukebox, baby! I love rock and roll!" He jerked his head back and forth as he opened the fridge door. He found some leftover spaghetti from the other night and opened it up. He grabbed the carton and strummed it unconsciously, as if it were a guitar. He hummed the song's beats out loud as he did so. Suddenly he heard a knock at the door, and he immediately put the carton down and acted normal. "Come in, it's open," he called.

The door opened and Carter entered.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey!" Dan said with a smile. Not even Carter's usually cold presence could bring him down. "Don't mind, I'm just heating up my dinner. Do you want some?"

"No thanks, I ate before I came," Carter said. Dan popped his food in the microwave and Carter threw his coat over one of the chairs. He was dressed very clean cut in a tan suit and his hair was combed through nicely. Suddenly Carter looked over to the side and saw a picture of Dan, Rufus, and Jenny hanging on the wall. He walked forward with an arched eyebrow. Dan looked puzzled as to why Carter was so mesmerized.

"Do I really look that weird, or is my sister really that pretty, or does my dad really need to shave?" Dan asked. Carter looked at him.

"That's your dad?" Carter asked.

"Yeah," Dan said. "Why?" Carter smiled a little.

"He helped me out the other night," he replied. "He got me a cab when I was drunk." Dan's eyes widened. His dad had never told him that story. Carter went to the table, sat down, and sighed. He looked away, out towards the windows.

"You come from good stock," he said, as if Dan were a cow. "Your family is always there for you. You don't have to go out and get wasted to forget about the shit you've done. You don't have to sleep with a million girls to be happy." Carter turned and looked at Dan. "You're a lucky guy."

"Um…thanks?" Dan said, unsure of what else to say. Carter laughed a little.

"You live in a world of rock bands and getting good grades and bettering yourself. I wish I had that, Dan. I really do."

There was a long pause. Dan felt it awkward that Carter was pouring out his secret desires of his heart to him.

"I guess I am better off than a lot of people, but there are still downsides," Dan said.

"Like what?" Carter asked. Dan sighed, unbelieving what he was about to tell Carter. He remembered what Chuck told him and reminded himself not to reveal everything.

"My mom cheated on my dad." Dan left out the part that he still thought about it, and it still bothered him.

"That bites," Carter said.

"It does."

"How do you do it, Dan? How do you not go out and drink and do all the things the rest of us do when that kind of shit happens to you?" Carter asked. Dan smiled.

"I just figure that even if I get drunk to forget about it, I'm still going to remember it as soon as the hangover passes." Carter laughed a little.

"So true," he said. Carter realized that he _had _to stay in this band as a payback to Dan's dad. He realized that for once he didn't mind paying back so much.

Just then, there was another knock at the door. Dan was thankful. He needed someone else in to end the awkward conversation.

"Come in, it's open," Dan said. Chuck flung open the door, smiling widely.

"Billy Jean is, at my door!" he sang. He closed the door behind him as he walked in. "She's just the girl who says that I am the one!" He removed his coat, revealing a navy blue sweater. Chuck walked over to an empty chair and tossed his coat over it. "But the kid is not my son!" Dan looked shocked, but was glad Chuck had such energy.

"You're in a good mood today," Dan observed out loud. He turned to the microwave and pulled out his food. "What's the occasion?" Chuck walked over to the counter very suavely.

"I took care of some business today that's been hanging over my head," Chuck said. He suddenly turned and looked at Carter. "Hey Carter!" he said with a smirk.

"Hey," Carter replied. Chuck looked back at Dan.

"As for the song, it was on the radio during the limo ride over."

"What, no classical music for you rich and sumptuous?" Dan asked. Chuck smirked.

"Come on Humphrey, we're not _that _snobby." Chuck looked down at the spaghetti. "That looks good," he said.

"Want some?" Dan asked.

"No thanks, but I would like a soda," Chuck replied. Dan motioned towards the fridge.

"Bottom rack on the door," Dan said. Chuck walked to it and grabbed a Pepsi. Once he got it he closed the fridge he walked back to the other side of the counter, looking around him.

"So this is the infamous Humphrey loft," Chuck said. "Not bad for a Brooklyn place."

"Thanks," Dan said, thinking that was the best compliment he would ever get out of Chuck.

"So Chuck, how's Blair doing?" Carter suddenly asked. Chuck glared at him, turning his back to Dan.

"She's fine," Chuck said in a normal tone. Carter understood by Chuck's look that Dan didn't know, and Carter kept his mouth shut. He wasn't about to cause trouble for Chuck any time soon, now that he knew what he was capable of. Dan raised an eyebrow in question, then looked at the clock.

"Where's Nate? He's usually always on time," Dan commented. Chuck's face remained calm, but his stomach felt sick. He had been so happy with Blair and with how he had Carter under his thumb that he forgot completely about Nate.

_"Maybe he doesn't know." _Then Chuck remembered the Gossip Girl message he had deleted earlier, and drew in a short breath. He hoped it wasn't about him and Blair. _"Let Nate be sick or something," _Chuck thought. _"God, let him be sick or something." _

That was when there came a knock at the door. The sound echoed in Chuck's ears.

"Come in," Dan said. He would have later wished he never said it.

Nate threw the door open and ran right at Chuck, his face lowered in an angry scowl.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Nate exclaimed. Dan jumped at Nate's loud voice, and his mouth dropped open as Nate threw a white-knuckled punch at Chuck. Carter moved forward in his seat, surprised at what was going on but wanting a good view.

Chuck caught Nate's fist in his one hand, but was so shocked by the sudden attack that he didn't have time to react when he saw Nate's other fist coming at his face. It hit him hard in the jaw, and Chuck's head turned completely the other way. Nate delivered another punch to Chuck's stomach, and Chuck doubled over, gasping for air. Nate shoved him down, and Chuck's head hit the hardwood floor. Nate looked down at him loathingly from above.

"Nate!" Dan exclaimed, his voice shaking in surprise. "What are you doing?!" Nate looked straight at him, and Dan saw that Nate's normal, gentle blue eyes had been replaced by ones filled with uncontrollable rage. It sent a shiver down Dan's spine, for he had never seen such a side to Nate before.

"Stay out of this, Dan!" Nate exclaimed. "I'll handle it myself!" Chuck had slowly been starting to sit up, gently grabbing the back of his head and gasping. Nate saw and pressed his foot down on Chuck's left shoulder. Chuck tried to shove Nate's leg off of him, but Nate just pressed down harder, using all of his strength. Chuck never realized how strong Nate was until that moment, when a sharp pain shot through his shoulder and kept getting worse.

"Nate! Ahhh!" Chuck screamed as he felt his shoulder begin to crack. Nate looked down and smiled, and suddenly Chuck heard a loud thud. Nate's eyes widened and his leg loosened. Chuck shoved Nate's leg off of his shoulder with his right arm right away, using what strength he had left. Nate stepped back a little, a moan escaping his throat. He turned to look behind him and came face-to-face with a determined Dan, who held a steel pan in his hand.

"Damn it Dan! What was that for?!" Nate exclaimed angrily. Chuck tried to sit up, but he couldn't get enough air so he lied back down. He realized that Dan had whacked Nate in the back with the pot.

"What was _that _for?!" Dan exclaimed, motioning to Chuck. "What the hell is going on?!" Nate pointed down at Chuck, who was still struggling to get air.

"He stole my girlfriend!" Nate exclaimed. "She came and broke up with me, and then hours later he was kissing her and getting into limos with her and doing God knows what!" Dan raised an eyebrow, confused. He looked down at Chuck.

"Is that true?" Dan asked calmly. "You and Blair?" Chuck leaned over on his side and gulped. His voice was very hoarse when he spoke.

"She broke up with him…she wanted to be with me…"

"You're a fucking liar!" Nate exclaimed loudly, making Dan shiver again. He stared at the two of them, not believing the exchange of words between the two friends. "She never wanted to be with you! She came to you because we broke up and you took advantage of her, you man-whoring son of a bitch!" Spit fell from Nate's mouth and onto Chuck's face. Chuck wiped it away, glaring up at Nate vengefully. He was about to try to push himself back up and pound Nate when someone spoke up.

"No Nate, it's true. They're together."

Everyone looked over at Carter in shock.

"What?!" Nate exclaimed in disbelief. Carter rose from his seat, looking disturbed by Nate's attitude.

"I saw them," Carter said. "They were walking together this afternoon, and he had his hand around her and they kissed." Chuck glared at him, even though Carter was trying to help and set things straight. "They looked genuinely happy together, Nate. I've never seen Chuck smile so much."

"Of course, because he got her virginity! He took her innocence!" Nate turned back to Chuck, who had sat up and was looking at Nate with big eyes.

_"If only you knew how long ago that was..." _Chuck thought.

Nate suddenly bent down and pulled Chuck to his feet. Dan saw.

"Nate! Stop it!" Dan tried to pull on Nate's arms to release Chuck, but Nate's grip was strong and unyielding. He walked Chuck back and pressed him up against the wall. Carter ran forward and tried to help Dan in his so far fruitless efforts at calming Nate down. Chuck's eyes looked downward, away from Nate's gaze.

"Look at me!" Nate exclaimed. Chuck's nose scrunched up a little, detecting a scent of liquor in Nate's breath.

_"Of course that's it," _he thought. _"Nathaniel could never do this __without a little help. He doesn't have the…" _

"You know it wasn't right, or there wouldn't be guilt in your eyes!" Nate shouted, interrupting Chuck's thoughts. Chuck did look up, but his eyes looked enraged instead of guilty. Suddenly he found his strength and yanked his arms out of Nate's grasp. Dan and Carter pulled Nate back, who was flinging around like a madman, trying to get a hold of his prey once more. Chuck breathed heavily and kept his angry, threatening eyes on Nate.

"You're the one who should feel fucking guilty!" Chuck exclaimed. He walked forward, his voice rising as he approached his best friend. "You left her alone so many times I can't even count them all! I don't blame her for wanting someone who'd be there for her!"

"Oh yeah, you'd be there for her in bed, and then you'd leave her like everyone else you've fucked in the past!" Nate exclaimed, his face reddening. "I can't believe you would do this to me! After I'm the only true friend you've ever had!" Chuck got right in Nate's face, and he felt his own blood rush with fury. He looked right into Nate's eyes and made his next words very clear.

"She doesn't love you! She never did!"

Nate yelled and started to charge once more, but Dan and Carter held him back. It was getting to be hard work. Dan decided to try to step in, taking one hand off of Nate and motioning for Chuck to move back a little.

"Calm down, you guys. Maybe we can just talk about it and clear the air," Dan suggested.

"Oh that's right, stand up for him. He was only trained by the guy who f-ed your girlfriend, but yeah, go right ahead," Nate said coldly.

"What?!" Dan exclaimed. Nate pointed at Carter with his free arm.

"He can tell the story better than I can," Nate said. Carter looked at Nate, outrage spreading across his face.

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone, you son of a bitch!" Carter exclaimed. Chuck looked baffled for the first time in his life. Dan looked angrier by the second.

"You and Serena had sex?!" Dan exclaimed, looking at Carter. Carter looked down, then he looked back up at Dan with sorrowful eyes.

"It was before you two got together. I'm sorry, Dan."

Dan's eyes widened, and he felt his stomach drop. Chuck looked at all of them, very confused. He hadn't known about that, and he knew _everything_.

"She slept with you but she wouldn't sleep with me?!" Chuck asked Carter. He looked almost insulted. "You're worse than I am!" Carter looked at Chuck with big eyes and shook his head slowly.

"No Chuck, that's not true," Carter said. Chuck's mouth dropped open in shock. Everyone was turning against him, even those like carter who had no right to speak in the first place.

"You're the biggest bastard in the entire universe!" Nate exclaimed. He advanced on Chuck with no one to stop him this time. Chuck backed up slowly as Nate approached, ready to defend himself if necessary. Dan was frozen in shock, and Carter looked ashamed of himself. Nate got right in Chuck's face again. "You beat anyone of the past and anyone now! You're the most pathetic scum of the Upper East Side! I despise you, and I will until the day I die!" Chuck looked right into Nate's eyes and paused for a minute before shaking his head slowly.

"No, you don't. You never despise anyone--you're too innocent for that. You just get jealous, and that jealousy clouds your brain until you have to take it out on someone. And you're jealous now, Nathaniel. You're jealous of what you can't have, and you're jealous that no matter how many times you started over, she never loved you."

There was a pause, and everyone waited for Nate's response, even Nate himself. He didn't know what to say back. So instead of thinking up something clever, he just brought his fist into Chuck's nose. Dan ran forward, the motion startling him out of his daze. He pushed Nate back away from Chuck and looked back and forth at all of them angrily. He tried to keep his voice calm.

"This _has _to stop." He raised his hands and talked with them as he continued. "I'm all discombobulated right now, trying to keep up with all of this. We can sit down and talk about it, but the physical crap has to come to an end. I won't stand for it in my house, or in between my band members."

Nate laughed.

"You think I'm still in the band?! There's no way I'm singing with that waste of a life!" Nate said, motioning to Chuck. Chuck would have replied if he wasn't too busy trying to stop the blood gushing out of his nose. Dan's eyes widened.

"You can't," he stated.

"I can," Nate answered back.

"Nate, we've worked so hard! Sure, you and Chuck are having some problems, but you work it out! That's what best friends do!" Dan exclaimed. Nate laughed once more, louder and crueler.

"He's not my best friend anymore. He's as much worth to me as a used condom."

That hurt Chuck more than he would care to admit. Nate's eyes looked at him like he was exactly what he had just described, and that wasn't making it better.

"Ouch Nathaniel, since when did you become such a smart ass?" Chuck asked. Chuck laughed a little in his throat, letting Nate know he wouldn't be taunted so easily. After all, did he forget who he was dealing with? "Did you need the comebacks for when your dad became a pothead and everyone at St. Jude's was making fun of you? Oh wait--that was _me _defending you, like I always have. You were so pathetic that you could never come up with anything on your own." Nate paused, still glaring at Chuck loathingly.

"This isn't over, Chuck. You'll be sorry. You think Blair's revenge was bad?" He laughed in his throat and smiled evilly. "You just wait."

"Wow, I'm shaking," Chuck said. "Wait, I'm getting me confused with your father again. Too much pot, nervous breakdown, shaking hands…"

"SHUT UP!" Nate exclaimed, his face as red as a tomato. He turned and started to walk to the door, deciding to bide his time. Dan watched, realizing that everything he had worked for was being blown to pieces in a matter of minutes.

"Nate!" Dan exclaimed. Nate stopped walking. "What about all we've accomplished?! The songs we wrote, the gig we got, everything you've learned…doesn't that mean anything to you?!" Nate turned slowly and looked at Dan.

"I can't, Dan. I'm sorry." Then he turned back around and opened the door. He closed it with a slam, and an uncomfortable silence spread throughout the room.

Chuck was titling his head up, still trying to stop the blood. Dan saw that it had dripped down onto Chuck's shirt and onto the floor. Dan got a few paper towels and handed them to Chuck.

"Thanks," Chuck said. He coughed as he tried to get the awful iron taste flowed into his mouth. It had been worth it though, just to zing Nate one last time. Dan was grossed out but kept getting more paper towels. Carter sighed loudly.

"Well," he said. "I guess there's nothing left for me here." He walked over to the chair he was sitting on before and grabbed his coat. Dan looked up.

"What, you're leaving too?" Dan asked. Carter looked back at him, disappointment lingering in his eyes.

"There's no way we can still go on with just the three of us. Nate covers the high tenor, and we need that. Plus, none of us can play the bass--or learn in a week," Carter said. Dan nodded slowly, realizing he was right. "I'm sorry Dan. Really, I am." He paused and waited for Dan to respond, and he didn't. "You can call me if you ever need anything." Carter then turned slowly on his heels and went for the door. He closed it softly behind him. As he walked away he felt sorry, but he couldn't help but smile. It looked like Chuck hadn't stolen his crown after all.

Dan leaned on the counter and crossed his arms. He looked down at the floor. Chuck noticed how depressed he was.

"That was cool, Humphrey." Dan looked up at him, his eyes curious.

"What was?" Dan asked. Chuck smiled at the corners of his mouth.

"When you hit Nate with that pan. You should have seen it from my point of view; it looked like something out of a movie." Dan smiled a little, but then looked saddened once more.

"I think you should go, Chuck." Dan knew there was so much to what had just happened, but he didn't feel like hearing it. All he knew was that Chuck seemed like the one behind it all. Chuck had disrupted his life when he was trying to accomplish something, just like always. Dan didn't know why he expected otherwise.

Chuck removed the bloody paper towels from his face.

"Do you even know what just happened?" Chuck asked. Dan sighed.

"I don't, and right now I really don't want to know. All I know for sure is that all of the effort I have put into this is down the drain." Dan reflected back on how he chose the three of them for the band. He had been so proud of the way things were going. Now he just wanted to go back in time and remake that decision.

"Humphrey, I didn't mean for--"

"Just go." Dan looked back down, melancholy. Chuck stared at him for a few moments, and couldn't help but feel responsible. Dan kept looking down. With a scorned expression on his face, Chuck walked over slowly to the table and picked up his coat. He looked back at Dan once more, and then went to the door himself. As soon as he was gone, Dan took his cell phone out and called the most familiar number he knew.

"Serena? Yeah, it's Dan. We need to talk. I just heard about you and Carter Baizen."

* * *

Chuck got outside of the loft building and the cold air stung his tenderized face. He stood next to the door and leaned against the brick wall. His head was killing him from hitting it so hard on the floor. He placed a hand behind his head and felt a lump.

_"Damn Nathaniel." _

Chuck closed his eyes. He breathed in the chilly air, which invigorated his overheated body. Chuck sighed as he thought back to the obvious. The band was through. Secret Addictions would never meet the public eye.

And he couldn't help but feel that it was his fault.

Nate's words replayed in his head like a broken record. What Nate had said was more painful than all of the physical blows he'd received. Chuck had never wanted to hurt him. Nate was like the brother he never had (a little one, to be more precise; Chuck always seemed to be teaching Nate the facts of life). Now he was against him, just like the whole rest of the world seemed to be.

After everything had just begun to change for the better, it had taken a turn for the worse. Chuck wasn't scared of Nate's threats at all--he knew that Nate wasn't capable of being deceitful. However, Chuck didn't like that Dan was blaming the whole ordeal on him. He hadn't said it outright, but Chuck could tell by Dan's mannerisms that Dan thought he was responsible. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Chuck felt bad for making Dan's band crash and burn in a matter of seconds. Dan had been surprisingly amiable towards him lately. Chuck figured that now Dan would pass him in the school halls, glaring at him hatefully just like old times.

Chuck wondered why he could never be happy. Every time one thing went right in his life, something else went wrong. He hated that he had to choose between the woman he loved and his best friend, when they always said that a friend and someone to love was all that one should really need in life.

Chuck's heart weighed heavy in his chest, and he suddenly felt very alone. It seemed like he was destined to be constantly lonely in one category of people. His mother had left him, his father constantly disapproved of him, and when Blair finally came back Nate left.

Chuck opened his eyes and realized that everything looked blurry. He quickly brought his hand up and angrily wiped away the despised moisture. Chuck hadn't cried for so long that the tears seemed to be burning his eyes, scarring him. He hated himself when he cried--it was the biggest sign of weakness in his opinion. His father had made that blatantly clear when Chuck was two. Crying was for girls and wusses like Nathaniel: not him.

Chuck took his cell phone out of his pocket.

_"Stop being so stupid.__You always survive these things,_he told himself. _"You're fucking Chuck Bass." _He first called his limo driver and told him where to pick him up. Then he dialed a number on his speed dial and put the phone to his ear. It rang a few times before he heard a happy voice on the other end, the voice of the one person who understood him better than anyone.

"Hello?"

"Blair?"

"Chuck!" Blair said excitedly. She was sitting on a couch at one of her mom's friends houses. It was another one of Eleanor's social events that Blair had to attend. For once, Blair didn't mind; she had been just too happy to complain.

"How's the party?" Chuck asked, cheering up a little.

"Better now that you called," Blair replied. Chuck heard the smile in her voice. "How's the practice going? Have you guys broken any of cabbage patch's windows yet?" Chuck paused for a minute, not wanting to say what he had to say. Blair noticed and became concerned. "Chuck, are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Nate knows, Blair."

Blair's mouth dropped open and she put a hand over it.

"Oh my God," she said.

"It was awful," Chuck said, thinking back. "He was so angry…I've never seen him act like that before in my life."

"Did he hurt you?!" Blair asked worriedly. Chuck didn't want her to fret over him, but what else was he going to say?

"Not too badly," he lied. Blair felt her heart sink.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed.

"It's fine, Waldorf. It's fine."

"No it's not fine!" Blair said, her voice rising. "I broke up with him! He can't take it out on you! Who does he think he is?!"

"I think it was a Gossip Girl post that tipped him off. Maybe somebody saw us together," Chuck said. Blair became enraged.

"I hate that site. I hate that site!" she exclaimed. Chuck was startled by her sudden outcry, and then her voice turned worried again. "Chuck, stay where you are. I'll come and find you."

"No Blair, it's okay."

"Chuck, I--"

"Your mother wouldn't allow you to leave. Besides, I'm alright now, he's gone. Don't worry about me."

"How can I not?" Blair asked. _"I love you." _

"I'll just go back to the Palace; it will be okay. I promise you, everything will be fine," Chuck said confidently. Blair pursed her lips.

"I believe you, but I don't like it." Chuck smiled, realizing how much she cared for him.

"You want to know the worst part?" Chuck asked.

"I don't know, do I?" Blair asked.

"Nate quit the band."

"I'm not surprised. Oh my God!" Blair exclaimed for the third time. "You know, he's seriously, _seriously_ pissing me off right now." Chuck laughed a little.

"Calm down, Waldorf. It's all over with now; there's nothing we can do about it." Blair felt like denying that, but she didn't. They continued to talk until Chuck's limo driver arrived. As soon as she hung up, Blair called another number.

"Hello?" asked the voice on the other end. Blair could tell by the sound of her best friend's voice that something was wrong.

"S? What's wrong?"

"Oh my God Blair, it was horrible!" Serena exclaimed through her tears. "Dan called me and told me that he knew about me and Carter." Blair's eyes widened.

"He got mad?" Blair asked.

"Not extremely, but he was upset that I didn't tell him sooner, and now I don't think he's talking to me. Then he told me that the band was broken up, and he told me what Nate did, and it was all so crazy and I don't know what's going on and…" Serena let out a sob. "I called Nate and I yelled at him."

"You did?! Why?!" Blair asked curiously. _She _wanted to be the first one to yell at Nate for what he'd done.

"He said he wouldn't tell anyone about Carter and me but he spilled the beans. I know I should've told Dan, but that doesn't give Nate the right to!" She gasped through her tears.

"I'm sorry, S."

"B…what is going on with you and Chuck?" Serena suddenly asked. She had gotten the Gossip Girl message, but she couldn't talk about it with Blair at school. Serena had been so busy with the wedding and everything that she didn't have time to call Blair, either. Blair's eyes widened.

"How did you…of course," Blair said, rolling her eyes as she realized it was Gossip Girl.

"Dan told me a little something about it too, when he talked about the fight." Serena remembered the conversations that she had with both Chuck and Blair. She had been desperately wondering if anything major had happened since then or if the text just displayed the scene before another one-night stand.

"I can't explain now. I'll fill you in later, but now I need you to do something for me," Blair said. "I know you're upset and everything, but I really, really need this."

"What?" Serena asked.

"Are you at the Palace?"

"Yeah."

"Can you wait for Chuck, and kind of comfort him when he shows up? I'm going to get there as soon as I can but if he gets there earlier I need someone to just be there with him."

"What happened?" Serena asked.

"Again, I'll tell you later," Blair said. "Can you do that for me, S?" Serena didn't feel like comforting anyone but herself at the moment, but she agreed.

"Sure."

"Thank you so much, Serena. You really are a great friend." Blair hung up the phone, then ran to her mother to try to convince her to let her go to the Palace.

* * *

Chuck finally got back to the hotel after what seemed like an eternity. He hopped out of the limousine and walked slowly through the open gates. He raised an eyebrow as he saw Serena running towards him.

"Chuck, Blair called me and told me to wait for you. What is going--" She stopped and gasped once she saw the dried blood on his face. "Chuck, what happened?!" she asked in disbelief. Serena brought her hand up slowly, meaning to examine his face closer. Chuck gently took her hand in his hand lowered it.

"Don't worry about it," Chuck said forcefully. "It doesn't concern you." He started to walk around her, but Serena stopped him.

"It was Nate, wasn't it?" Chuck eyes widened with shock.

"How did you know?" he asked. Serena's face became saddened.

"Dan and I got in a fight. He was telling me that the band is history, and that you and Nate were fighting over Blair." Chuck looked at her, realizing that she didn't know that Blair had broken up with Nate. "What's going on? Did you two get together?" she asked. Chuck sighed.

"Can we sit down and talk about it?" he asked.

"Sure," Serena said. She put her hand on his shoulder and led him over to the stairs. They sat down and Serena pulled some moisturizing cloths from her purse, leftovers from a restaurant date with Dan. She got closer to Chuck and wiped the blood off of his face. Once she finished, Chuck looked closely at Serena.

"You seem concerned," Chuck said.

"Well of course I am," Serena said. Chuck smirked.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you cared." Serena looked down so that he couldn't read her face.

"I care about Blair, and if you're her new boyfriend then I'm going to be worried when you show up all weak and bloodied." She looked back up with a little smile. "Plus, you're not too bad when you remind me that you're a human being." Chuck smiled a little, holding back a sarcastic comment for the first time in his life. "So what happened?" Serena asked. Chuck leaned back against the steps and looked up at her with tired eyes.

"Blair broke up with Nate, and we're together now."

"Really?!" Serena asked. Chuck nodded with a smile. Serena gasped excitedly. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Oh my God, you have a girlfriend! You, Chuck Bass!" She laughed a little. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"I know, I even surprised myself," Chuck said. "I can't believe you didn't see the Gossip Girl message."

"I did, but I didn't have time to talk about it with Blair. Oh my God!" Serena couldn't keep herself from smiling. Not because she approved, but that the whole situation was unbelievable. "What happened when Blair broke up with Nate and went to you?!" Chuck grinned naughtily, and Serena's excited smile faded and she sighed. "Don't answer that." Chuck laughed a little.

"No, it wasn't just that." Chuck placed his hands on his lap. "Blair can tell you those details, but I'll let you know that Nate found out tonight."

"Yeah, I can guess." Serena wanted to slap herself for feeling sorry for him. "Did he hit you hard?"

"I'll be fine," Chuck said, not directly answering the question. "He was so angry."

"It seemed that way when I talked to him on the phone," Serena said. Chuck raised an eyebrow.

"You called him?"

"I called him to yell at him for telling Dan about Carter. That's why Dan and I fought." There was a pause.

"I'm sorry about that," Chuck said. Serena looked at him, her mouth in an o shape.

"Am I hearing things, or did you just admit that you feel bad for me?!" Serena asked. Chuck shook his head and smirked.

"Don't think that much into it. It's just sad that the one boy who kept you from being a slut is gone." Chuck really did care about Serena; they _were _going to be related. That didn't mean he would stop teasing her.

"Touché, Charles," Serena said with an eye roll.

"When did you ever get with Carter? I didn't know about that," Chuck commented.

"Maybe you don't know as much as you think," Serena said with a wry smile. She suddenly turned her head forward. "Like how Blair Waldorf doesn't take no for an answer." Chuck turned to see what Serena was looking at. Blair was getting out of a limo and walking through the open gates. Chuck looked at Serena, who gave him an encouraging smile. "Go on," she urged.

Chuck stood up and ran to Blair, whose face brightened when she saw him. They met in the middle of the circle-shaped pathway.

"Yeah, I'm a little late. But better late than never, right?" Blair asked. Chuck couldn't keep himself from smiling.

"You didn't have to come," Chuck said.

"Let me get this straight," Blair said, folding her arms. "You are always there when I'm down and lonely and shit out of luck, and I can't be there for you when your time comes?" She smiled. "Keep dreaming, Bass."

Chuck was speechless. He threw his arms around her, and she hugged him comfortingly back. People passing by on the streets saw them and smiled. So did Serena, who stood up on the steps to get a better look. She never would have pictured (or approved of) the two of them together in a million years, yet they made such a beautiful pair.

Chuck bent down and kissed the top of Blair's head, and she looked up at him. They were silent for a few moments, their arms still tightly wrapped around each other.

"I was so worried," Blair said.

"Did you honestly think that Nathaniel could do anything bad?" Chuck asked, gently pushing some of Blair's hair out of her face. She blushed.

"No, but I couldn't help myself. I love you. If anything happened…" Blair stopped, realizing the words she had just said. Her eyes widened, fearful of what Chuck would say back. Her fears were soothed as Chuck's face brightened and a genuine smile spread across his face.

"I love you too."

No words could begin to describe the happiness they each felt at that moment. They had found the pure bliss that they had been searching for their entire lives. Only one thing could truly accomplish expressing that.

Serena wiped a few warm tears running down her cheeks as she watched them kiss. Even she could feel how much they cared for each other--and dare she think it, how much they belonged together.

When the kiss finally broke, they looked at one another for a few moments, astounded at how much their dreams had become realities. Their hearts beat at the same, quickened pace as the silence and awe enveloped them. After for what seemed like an eternity, Blair spoke again.

"Whatever Nate does, he won't stop us from being together Chuck. He can't."

"Of course not," Chuck said, assuring. He bent down and kissed her softly on the lips once more. "Nothing can." Blair smiled widely and blushed. Suddenly, through all of the horns and noise of the city, there came a faint musical sound from above. Chuck and Blair looked up as it grew louder, thinking they were hearing things. Someone in one of the hotel rooms was blasting a song, and had left the window open. It was so loud and clear that they could distinguish the instrumental song.

"Nobody does…it better…" Blair sang softly. "Makes me feel sad…for the rest…"

"You know this song?" Chuck asked suddenly.

"Dorota likes Carly Simon," Blair said with a smile. Chuck looked clueless. "The lady who sings it?" Blair asked.

"I don't know who sang it, all I know is that it was from one of my dad's favorite James Bond movies," Chuck said. Blair laughed, stifling back joyful tears.

"Chuck, you are something else."

"And I'm yours."

Chuck stepped back a little, out of her arms. He extended his arm out and opened his hand with a smile.

"You ran off at the cotillion before we finished dancing," Chuck reminded her. Blair smiled brightly and held in a gasp as she realized what he was proposing. She walked forward and took his hand. Blair moved her other hand up on Chuck's shoulder, and Chuck put his hand around her waist. Then they began to dance. They moved gracefully with great vivacity, even though neither of them was focusing on their steps.

Chuck was too busy thinking about how much he loved her and how lucky he was. And Blair was too busy looking at the handsome man she loved with disbelief and affection, noticing how much the song reminded her of him.

"Nobody does it…half as good as you…baby you're the best…"

They were so involved that they didn't notice a familiar face running past them, nor did he notice them.

"Serena!"

Serena turned her blurry eyes away from Chuck and Blair and turned them to the owner of the voice. She gasped.

"Dan!" He ran over to her, panting. She laughed a little as she stepped down the stairs and approached him. "You look so out of breath!"

"I took a taxi here but I only had enough money to take up the last street. I had to run down a few blocks," Dan answered. "Plus, I was kind of worried you wouldn't be home."

"You could've just called me!" Serena said.

"Yeah, but that would've ruined the surprise," Dan said.

"I thought you were mad at me," Serena said. Her face fell. "You have every right to be. I should've told you." Dan sighed.

"I was upset. But then I was going through all of the songs the band and I wrote, ready to toss everything out. I came across one that I hadn't finished." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Dan unfolded it and handed it to her. "Take a look," he said. Serena saw the title, "My Angel at the Banister." She read it and her mouth dropped open in pleasant surprise.

"Dan, is this about me?!" she asked. Dan smiled.

"After I told Nate to stop writing songs about you, I had an inclination to do the same thing but in the way that I see you. Not just the girl I did, but the girl who means the world to me."

Serena continued to read in disbelief. She got to the end and looked up at him brightly.

"I thought you didn't finish it." Dan blushed, embarrassed.

"After I saw it and read through it, I came up with the ending," Dan said. Serena couldn't get over how sweet he was being, especially since he should've still been upset. Dan sighed. "I overreacted a little about the whole Carter thing. It just surprised me, I guess. But what's in the past is in the past. I want to know that I'll still be with you in the future." Serena grinned widely and the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. She realized that she couldn't have found a better man than Dan Humphrey. Her heart fluttered as the words escaped her lips.

"I love you, Dan. I love you so much." Serena grabbed him and pulled his lips into hers, and Dan didn't argue. He put his arms around her and she molded into him. When they pulled away, Dan smiled and gently wiped away her tears with his hand.

"I love you too," Dan said. Serena wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry about your band, baby," Serena said. Dan was amused--he never thought he'd hear her call him her baby.

"Me too," Dan said sadly. "Maybe I can get some new members." Serena wanted to comfort him, and could only think of one way.

"Do you want to go up to my room?" she asked. Dan bent down, and suddenly Serena felt herself being picked up. She kept her arms around Dan, who smiled at her warmly.

"I've had practice at the cotillion," Dan said. Serena laughed, then bent over and kissed his cheek. It seemed like Chuck and Blair weren't the only ones reliving that night.

"You're amazing," she told him. As Dan began to carry her away, Serena looked back once more at the couple in front and gaped at what she saw.

Chuck and Blair were deep in a passionate kiss. They held each other so close and fit together so perfectly, it almost looked like they had been set up to pose that way. The song continued to blast from the apartment above:

"Nobody does it…quite the way you do…why'd you have to be so good?"

Serena grinned.

For once, she and her best friend had found their perfect match.

**Spotted: C and B slow danc****ing and making out romantically ****in front of the Palace Hotel.****Tsk****tsk****, have these two forgotten that I'm watching them? As much as I am dismayed to write this, I ****guess Queen B found her match in the royal jester. ****Rumor has it tha****t our knight in shining armor N is pretty mad, naturally****, but ****will he do something ****about it? N has never been one to scheme. If he has got some secret tricks up his sleeve though, there is school on Monday. C ought to watch his back, because N will be on the**** lookout for him. And so will ****I****. Y****ou know you love me. **

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yeah, this chapter is up early too but only because I won't be able to write much this week. Plus I just saw "Jersey Boys" a few days ago and couldn't help but think of ****this story. I just had to write :) ****Thanks again to all for your reviews and ****favori****tings;**** t****his one's for you!**

**The Music in Me: Chapter 6**

Blair's back hit the wall hard, but the only sensation she felt was the thrill of Chuck's lips on hers. She hungrily kissed back, pulling on his shoulders so that he was brought into her. He let out a moan as he kissed, his large hands stroking her back. Blair's hands moved down to his ass and she brought his hips to hers. She felt the extent of his desire pressing up against her and she felt herself turn hot. Chuck moved his head downward and put his mouth on her neck.

"Don't! I'll have to cover it with makeup!" Blair exclaimed through gasps.

"I'll do what I want to you," Chuck whispered sensually. Blair felt a pinching pain in her neck, and soon it dissolved and the numbed feeling made her want him even more. Chuck's hot breath grazed her entire neck and she felt his one hand moving towards her chest.

That was when the bell rang. Blair sighed, not wanting to leave when Chuck was so feisty.

"I have to go," she said, breathing heavily. Chuck's face popped up in front of hers, his dark brown eyes filled with an uncontrollable lust.

"No you don't," he demanded. "You're staying here." Blair laughed slightly in her throat.

"I have a math test, Bass. I still need to get into Yale, and I'm not ruining my perfect record of straight A's." Chuck retreated and stepped back slightly, knowing that he wouldn't win this battle. Only Blair could stop him in the middle of when he was getting hot and heavy.

"I _hate_ when you do this to me," Chuck groaned. Blair smiled, noticing that he had turned completely red from arousal. She loved what power she had over him.

"I'll come by the Palace later after school and make it up to you. I promise," Blair said. Chuck managed to smile at that, and he offered her his hand. She took it with glee and they walked out from behind the side of the St. Jude's building. "So what has Nate done today?" Blair asked. It was Wednesday, four days since Nate sputtered his drunken revenge threats at Chuck. On Monday, Nate had tripped Chuck as he walked down the hall and had shoved him head-first into his locker. On Tuesday Nate had raised his hand in anatomy class and asked what the maximum number of sexually transmitted diseases a person could have was.

"Usually unlimited," the teacher had answered.

"Really?" Nate had turned around and looked at Chuck. "I owe you a dollar, Chuck. You really do have seventy-five."

"Can't compare to your ninety-three," Chuck had shot back coolly. The rest of the day came with more taunts that only an Archibald could think up--in other words, not very good. However it didn't stop the St. Jude boys from mocking and taunting Chuck every second of the day.

Was Nate being as annoying as hell? Yes. A clever vengeance demon? No.

"He hasn't done anything yet today," Chuck answered. They walked past a few outside tables, where a bunch of boys and girls from Constance were standing in groups. They watched Chuck and Blair walk by like sharks whom had just spotted a meal. The couple didn't notice.

"He's really being a nuisance," Blair said, taking her arm and putting it through Chuck's.

"He'll get tired of it eventually. He said he was going to have revenge bigger than yours on Serena. He doesn't have the drive," Chuck said. Blair's eyes widened.

"Don't underestimate him, Chuck. Remember what happened to Carter when he did the same to you. Nate can carry out all of the lame stuff he comes up with, as crazy as it sounds." Chuck disagreed, thinking that he knew Nate pretty well. They _had_ been best friends since preschool. He didn't say it to Blair, though. They walked to the center courtyard that divided the two schools.

"See you at my place, then?" Chuck asked with a grin.

"Seven sharp," Blair said. They leaned in and gave each other a quick kiss before Blair removed her arm out of his. She started walking towards Constance, smiling and waving at Chuck as she did. Chuck returned the favor, then turned to walk back to his school. He almost laughed, for never did he dream that he would be walking Blair back to school.

Chuck walked into his math class, late as usual. He heard some snickers and he shrugged it off. He sat down and suddenly heard a familiar voice from his right side.

"Chuck."

"What, Nathaniel?" Chuck didn't even face his newly-made nemesis. Nate continued talking, deluding himself that what he was about to say was witty.

"How come you suck so much?"

"Because I was friends with you my entire life."

Nate was shocked at the comeback. Chuck put his elbows up on the desk and folded his hands. He smiled behind them, wishing he could see the look on Nathaniel's face. The teacher was talking, droning on and on about something, when suddenly Nate stood up and shouted loudly in Chuck's direction.

"No I will not make out with you!" Chuck rolled his eyes. Nate _really _needed to get his revenge ideas from somewhere besides Adam Sandler movies. Nate looked around the classroom, looking horrified. He pointed at Chuck. "He asked me to make out with him, Mr. Delisee!" Nate exclaimed to the math teacher. "In the courtyard by the dandelions!"

"Get out of your daydreams, Archibald," Chuck replied. There was a loud chorus of immature "oooooohhhsss" from the boys until the math teacher ordered them all to calm down and pay attention. Nate waited for someone to do something, but no one made a move. He sat down, fuming that the tables had been turned on him.

"Psst. Nathaniel." Nate looked over at a smirking Chuck. "I'm flattered that you've come to recognize my sexual superiority, but I don't swing that way. You'll need to find someone else for your fantasies. How about Carter Baizen?"

"Shut up," Nate said sharply. He turned and looked at the teacher, trying to hold in his anger. That only made Chuck smirk more.

* * *

That evening, Serena and Dan went out on a date. It was their routine date: cheap, casual, and filled with memories. They first stopped at a homemade sandwich shop for dinner.

"Ummm…this roast beef is amazing," Serena said. She had nothing to eat but a small salad all day and decided to blow her diet for one evening. Dan didn't care, and that was another reason why she loved him: he would love her no matter how she looked.

"They make really good stuff here," Dan said. He took a bite of his own ham and cheese. Serena picked up a fallen piece of beef off of her plate and popped it in her mouth.

"How's the speech going?" she asked. Dan shook his head slowly. She was referring to what he was going to say to the agent who had been interested in Secret Addictions.

"I haven't thought of anything to say that's not embarrassing," Dan said. He sighed. "I can't get over it. We worked so hard."

"All you have to do is get Chuck and Nate to stop arguing," Serena said. Dan laughed a mock laugh.

"Easier said than done," he replied. "I haven't spoken to either of them all week. I heard through the grapevine about the lame things that Nate was doing to Chuck, and I really couldn't care less." Dan meant it. He was angry at all of them. He was angry at the constant drama that took place in their lives. He was just sick of them.

"Who are you mad at the most?" Serena said. She discovered that she had been good with talking to people lately. Maybe if Dan let out everything that was bothering him, he could move on from his band breakup. Dan looked down, his lips tightening.

"Your soon to be step brother, who I despise with every fiber in my being," Dan said. Serena looked baffled.

"Why?" she asked. Dan shot back up, puzzled as to why she didn't understand.

"Of all the times to do what he did with Blair, why did it have to be now?! Didn't he think about how Nate would react, or how it would ruin everything?! Did he even care?! No. Of course not. Chuck Bass is out for only one person: Chuck Bass." Dan sighed. "I always knew he was a scumbag, but now he's dropped down a level. I didn't think that was possible. I shouldn't have even let him into the band."

"It's not his fault," Serena said. Dan looked at her, amazed at what she just said.

"Don't tell me you're sticking up for him?!" Dan asked. Serena put her hands in her lap and looked around. Then she leaned in and whispered.

"Dan, Chuck and Blair had a secret thing for months. She's been the only girl he's slept with more than one time. He was her first." Dan's eyes widened as Serena continued. "They broke it off the night of the cotillion because of Chuck's scheming. Chuck kept thinking about her, which he never does. And then there was something with the music room and…" She stopped to take a sip of her water. "Let me just say that whenever Nate wasn't there, Chuck always was. Blair finally realized that, and broke up with Nate. She went to Chuck and they made up, and that's when Gossip Girl spotted them. Nate and Blair were already broken up. Even when Blair and Chuck first had sex she and Nate were broken up…for twenty minutes, but broken up nonetheless."

Dan's face fell, understanding. He remembered seeing Chuck walking Blair back to Constance for the past two days. He knew that look they had in their eyes whenever they saw each other.

"They're really in love, aren't they?" Dan asked. Serena smiled.

"I've never seen Blair so happy before in her life. She's confident now and smiling all the time. And since when has Chuck actually _dated _anyone? If it's not love, then what else can it be?" She laughed a little, not believing that she was standing up for Chuck's well being. "You should see them together; they're the cutest thing. I never thought I'd approve of them, but they've clearly changed since they've been together." Serena took Dan's hand from under the table. "Maybe they're like us, Dan. Maybe they were meant to be."

Dan smiled, but his thoughts were still on Chuck and Blair and Nate. His stomach was doing knots, because he felt a little bad for the way he had blamed everything on Chuck. He suddenly laughed a little.

"I can't believe I feel sorry for Chuck and Blair," Dan said. Serena laughed too.

"Yeah, your two favorite people," she said sarcastically.

"I can see Nate being angry, because Chuck is his best friend, but he was more vicious than ever that night. It was like he went mental," Dan said.

"He's just upset. But if I know Nate, he can be convinced to forgive. Deep down he has a good heart. It's just a little clouded right now," Serena said. Dan nodded. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Chuck stepped out of the shower and reached for a white towel. He dried off his hair, his abs, and everything else thoroughly before tying the towel tightly around his waist and reaching for his cologne bottle. He had just finished gym and the boys had to go shower before the bell rang for the next class. Chuck despised the smell of chlorine. It always made him feel dizzy. That's why he had lifeguarded when he broke into the school for a pool party with the other in-crowd members.

Chuck sometimes thought that water was better than booze, though not to drink. He loved when hot shower water dripped on every inch of his skin. It always made him feel soothed and energized when he came out. It was best when he was freezing and then he just hopped right in, like he had done a few minutes before.

Chuck put some cologne in his hands and rubbed them together. He patted them on his lower face, his upper chest, and his arms, hoping that it would drown the chlorine smell out. The St. Jude's soap sucked. Chuck then closed the bottle and threw open the shower stall curtain.

That was when he became drenched in ice. Or so it seemed.

Chuck felt goose bumps rising everywhere on his body. He felt coldness run down his hair, his back, his legs. He brought up a hand and wiped some flattened hair out of his face. Chuck's stomach immediately turned sick as the overpowering stench filled his nostrils. It was a good thing he had picked a thick towel that clung to his hips or else it would have fallen off with the force.

Chuck heard loud laughter and jeering through his waterlogged ears. He looked up from under lowered eyebrows in the direction of the sound. Nate stood a few steps away, holding an empty white bucket and wearing a mischievous grin. Random boys stood around Nate, cackling maniacally. They were all dressed in their uniforms already. Nate raised an eyebrow and tried to imitate Chuck's smirk. Chuck would have laughed at the attempt, had his bones not been frozen to the core.

"What's the matter, Chuck?" Nate asked mockingly. "Can't handle a little cold water? You're like the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Only you would make a reference to such pansy movies, Nathaniel," Chuck said, staring at Nate loathingly. Nate was unfazed.

"Well, you are a girl, so it made me think of that," Nate said immaturely. Chuck let out a laugh as he started to feel his blood turn warm again.

"I never cried when I got time outs," Chuck said with a smirk, remembering back to their kindergarten days.

"I never threw up because of chlorine," Nate shot back with a grim tone in his voice. Chuck frowned slightly at the corners of his mouth, remembering back to Nate's fourth grade birthday party. Nate tried to smirk again. "Why don't you go throw up now? They say it helps you lose weight. You might want to think about that, fat ass."

Chuck couldn't help but laugh. Nate sounded like such a girl. Chuck doubled over and gasped as he laughed even harder. Nate looked frustrated at the fact that Chuck was not taking offense, so much so that his face turned red and his knuckles clenched into fists. The other boys just watched in anticipation for the next war of words. Finally, Chuck gained his composure and stood up. He looked Nate in the eyes and smiled.

"Nathaniel, have you forgotten that I'm two pants sizes lower than you?" The other boys "oooohhheeedd," and Nate's eyes became filled with the anger that he had possessed that fateful Saturday night.

"Maybe if you didn't have such a small di--"

"What's going on in here?!" The gym teacher's booming voice echoed off the walls as he entered the shower room. He looked back and forth from Chuck to the group of boys. "The bell rang five minutes ago! You're all late, let's go!" Nate gave Chuck a deadly stare before turning and leading the group away. Chuck began to head back to the shower stall, for he was still chilled. "Bass, get to class!" the teacher exclaimed. Chuck turned to him and stared him down.

"Piss off," he said. Then the teacher gave him a detention.

Chuck was relieved when lunch finally came. He hated going to class, let alone soaking wet and cold. He chose a seat at a table in the outside courtyard, and he was thankful that the sun was out. Chuck sat down with a turkey and provolone sandwich, feeling many gawking eyes upon him. His nose scrunched up, still smelling the awful stuff on him. No amount of cologne could make it go away. For once he was hoping that Blair wouldn't meet him for lunch.

"Chuck?"

Chuck looked up slightly under his eyelids, not bothering to raise his head. The voice was much lower than the one he expected, though he still recognized it. His eyes moved back downward.

"Humphrey." Dan stood next to the table with a brown bag lunch and a few books. A few seconds of awkward silence ensued until Dan couldn't take it anymore.

"Can I sit here?" Dan asked.

"It's a free country," Chuck said, still not looking up. Dan sat down next to him and sighed uncomfortably. Suddenly his nose twitched, and he inhaled through his mouth.

"Wow. Don't take this the wrong way Chuck, but I think they put way too much chlorine in the pool today," Dan said. Chuck smiled a little.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." Chuck finally turned to face Dan, his smile disappearing. He folded his arms, his eyes filled with speculation. "What do you want, Humphrey?" Dan gulped, knowing it wasn't going to be a casual talk.

"I just came to tell you that I'm not mad anymore," Dan said. Chuck smiled again at the corners of his mouth.

"You mean for causing the breakup of your band and crushing your hopes and dreams, or for trying to rape your sister?" It was Dan's turn to smile.

"I think I made up for that second one," he said. "I actually meant the band. Serena told me the whole story." Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Tell your girlfriend that she doesn't have to stick up for me," Chuck said.

"You've stuck up for her. She told me about how you told your dad to save her for breaking into the pool." Chuck looked away and picked at the top piece of bread on his sandwich.

"You weren't supposed to know about that," Chuck said.

"Well, I do. What's done is done. I know the whole story about you and Blair, too," Dan said. Chuck looked at him, and then looked up and sighed in disgust.

"That's the last time I tell Van Der Woodsen anything," Chuck said, poison in his voice. Dan smiled.

"Don't worry; no one else knows but me, and I'm not going to say anything to Nate. You may not know a lot about me, but at least you can count on that to be true. He _is _the one who truly overdramatized this whole thing and ruined my band," Dan said. Chuck laughed a little through a closed mouth.

"Not to mention my friendship with him."

"No, I think you take ownership of that title," Dan said bluntly. Chuck looked away, knowing it was true. He was about to say something sarcastic back, but Dan spoke again. "It's okay, though. I know you really care about her." Chuck put his head in his hand and looked at Dan.

"It's more than that. I love her." Chuck leaned back and took his legs out from under the table. Dan couldn't believe it. Chuck actually admitted that he loved someone. It was more shocking than when Dan had found out that his dad and Serena's mom had sex.

"It's all worth it, then?" Dan asked. Chuck smiled a little, but then his face went blank.

"Yeah, except for the band."

"I know," Dan said. He didn't want to get too sappy in front of Chuck, so he decided to go back to the original topic. "You know Chuck, you and I aren't so different." Chuck's eyes looked amused.

"Is this the part where we're supposed to be friends? Look Humphrey, I came into your band for fortune, not to get to know you better. Despite Serena's connections with both of us, I can't befriend someone like you."

"Why's that?" Dan asked. He really didn't care how Chuck felt about him; he just wanted to stick it to him. "Is it still the whole class thing? I thought that didn't bother you anymore." Chuck froze, looking over at the table. Dan smiled a little. "Chuck, when Serena and I started dating, nobody approved of me as her boyfriend. Even Serena's grandma wanted me out of her life. But we love each other. We decided that we don't care what anyone else says--well, I never cared, but Serena's high society and all that crap." Chuck smiled at Dan's last few words. Dan continued. "I was kind of glad to hear that we weren't the only ones who don't care anymore."

Chuck remained silent, listening to the laugher and sounds of the people in the courtyard. Suddenly his cell phone bleeped. He pulled it out of his pocket and read the message from Blair saying that she had a study group and couldn't come to lunch. Dan sat for a few moments lost in his ponderings, and then he began to stand up.

"Dan?"

Dan looked back down, surprised that Chuck called him by his first name. He didn't think he remembered it. Chuck sighed.

"I can't believe I am asking this." There was a small pause, and Dan felt like he was in a soap opera and Chuck was about to tell him that his sister died. Chuck looked up, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm fucking cold and I can't shake it off. There's a coffee place around the block. Want to come with me and get a cup?" Dan smiled, not believing who had just asked that question.

"Sure," he replied. Chuck put his sandwich back in the bag and closed it up. Then he and Dan rose and began to walk towards the main courtyard that divided two of the Upper East Side's most prominent schools.

**Spotted: C and D walking b****ack to St. Jude's, carrying coffee from the expensive ****shop down the block.** **They seemed to be having fun, shoving each other and spilling coffee over the edges of their cups. ****I ****gotta**** hand it to C: he keeps me guessing more and more every day. First a steady girlfriend, now pals with ****lonelyboy?! He**** is probably the greatest actor we never knew existed****I'm not liking**** it, but at least it's something new. **

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

* * *

The next day, Dan walked into the music room and sat down for chorus class. He pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket that read what he was going to tell the agent about Secret Addictions that night. It had been difficult to write. Chuck had offered a little advice when they went to get coffee, since he was a pro at smooth talking. Dan sighed, looking from his handwriting on the page to the front of the room. It was a Thursday, the day they would normally be practicing after school. Dan dreamed of the last Thursday before the concert for weeks. Now it would never be.

Nate entered the room, surrounded by new cronies who Dan knew were as flighty as the day was young. Dan looked back down at the paper and read over the first few lines, not noticing what Nate placed on Mr. Smith's desk before running to his seat. After a few seconds, Mr. Smith entered the room with his notebooks and laptop under one arm.

"Alright everyone, get into groups, hurry up!" Mr. Smith said. As a few guys began to scurry, Mr. Smith placed his things on the desk. He noticed what was lying there and picked it up. He looked up at his students and waved the object in his hand. "Is this some sort of sick joke?!" he asked loudly. Dan looked at what Mr. Smith was holding and his eyes widened. It was a white and red covered Karma Sutra sex book.

"Open the front cover, Mr. Smith! See who it belongs to!" Nate suggested. Dan winced.

_"Oh no, here it comes," _he thought, and he was right.

"Where is Charles Bass?!" Mr. Smith exclaimed angrily. As if on cue, Chuck ran through the doors of the music room, out of breath. His navy blue uniform coat was across his arm and his yellow and red striped tie had come undone.

"Mr. Smith, I was walking down the hall and there was this freshy who slipped and fell down two stairs and--" Chuck began to say. Mr. Smith stepped towards Chuck and waved the book like a madman. His face had turned a bright, fire-engine red.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he asked. Chuck's big eyes looked surprised as he read the cover.

"What do you mean?" Chuck asked, though he had a sick feeling that he already knew.

"You know well what I mean. Why do you have such an object in this school, and why did you put it on my desk?!" Mr. Smith yelled. Chuck's eyes darted at Nate for a brief moment. Nate grinned like he had just won a million dollars. Chuck sighed. He had never tried swallowing his pride before. It was painful.

"Yeah Mr. Smith, I did it. I thought it would be good if you learned some new tips," Chuck said. A few of the boys snickered, before the fuming eyes of Mr. Smith lay upon them. The teacher looked back at Chuck, throwing his arms in the air.

"I can't believe you! You think you can do whatever you want and not pay attention in school because of who your father is! I can't see why a smart young man like Dan Humphrey would choose someone like you for his band. Nate Archibald fine, he always works extremely hard in this class. But you?! Your repulsive lifestyle astonishes me! Not even the greatest voice can cover for lack of determination!!"

Dan's mouth dropped open, and a small whimper of shock escaped his throat. He forgot that when he went to ask Mr. Smith about moving them up in the concert order, he motioned that Chuck and Nate were in the band. He put his head in his hands. The word was out now. He could feel the many eyes staring at him as if he had two heads. Nate looked surprised as well, and all of the boys looked back and forth between him and Dan in absolute shock.

Chuck didn't shoot back a remark, nor did he hang his head. He stood proudly and looked at Mr. Smith, knowing what was coming next. They boys turned their attention back to the front of the room as Mr. Smith stomped back to his desk and pulled out a white slip of paper. He walked back to Chuck and placed it in his hands with a frown.

"Take this to the principal's office when you go now," Mr. Smith said. Then he handed Chuck the book. "And this as well." Chuck took the book softly from Mr. Smith, then casually looked over at Nate. Nate's eyes were held by Chuck's poised stare. He discovered that nothing he had done to Chuck affected him, nor would it ever.

Chuck turned slowly and began to walk away, holding his head high. The boys watched him go, as if caught in a majestic rapture. Every junior boy in the school had always been in secret awe of Chuck. He always was in control of a situation. Even his defeats seemed like victories.

Chuck opened the doors and walked out, and the room became filled with an unexplained emptiness. Mr. Smith walked back to his desk. He looked through his notes.

"I must go to the copy machine. I'll be right back," he said. Mr. Smith walked out of the room, though everyone knew he was just going to try to calm his frazzled nerves. All of the boys looked at Dan, who looked back at them with annoyed eyes.

"What?" he asked. He sighed, and his voice rose. "Okay, okay. Chuck and Nate were in my band. Yes you never knew, yes we worked damn hard, and no we're not performing. There, satisfied?!" Dan stood up, tired of the world he lived in. Everyone would be talking about the band that never was, and wondering if the boys who hated each other actually became friends. He briskly walked away from his desk and walked out of the music room with one slam of the doors. Nate watched him go, his mouth parted slightly. He felt his stomach churning as if someone had stuck a knife through it.

Suddenly Nate stood up and ran out of the music room. He spotted Dan walking quickly to the end of the hallway.

"Dan!" Nate exclaimed. Dan turned around, his face exasperated.

"What?" Dan asked sharply. Nate was shocked at Dan's fury. Dan had always been mild mannered.

"I didn't know how much my leaving the band would bother you," Nate stated.

"Duh! I put my heart and soul into the thing for weeks, and you just expect me to be okay when you back out?!" Dan asked. Nate knew he would have been angry too if he were in Dan's position.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't want to make you mad. I just couldn't bear it. Standing up there with Chuck and acting like everything is okay just wasn't an option for me," Nate said. Dan sighed loudly.

"Nate, I'm not about to say that Chuck was completely right in what he did, because that would be wrong. But how you've acted towards him is just unnecessary." Nate took a step back, as if he had just been punched.

"What?! He stole my girlfriend!" Nate exclaimed.

"The girlfriend who broke up with you?! I'm sorry that she did it, but you have to face the facts. She would still be with you if she loved you, and if you loved her you wouldn't have slept with my girlfriend. Who you still care about, by the way," Dan said.

"I do not!" Nate exclaimed defensively.

"You wrote songs about her! How do you think that made me feel?!" Dan exclaimed. He looked down, trying to calm down. Nate's eyes widened, understanding for the first time how much he had hurt so many people that he cared about.

"Dan, I'm really sorry," Nate tried to say again.

"I don't care about that," Dan said, looking up. He smiled a little. "I have Serena now, and that's all that really matters." His smile faded slowly. "I just think that you need to decide what you want out of life. If you had known before, maybe all of this could have been avoided." Dan slowly turned and walked away, thinking about what he said. He wondered if it would make any impact at all.

Nate walked over to a wall. He leaned up against it and slowly moved down so that he sat on the floor. He sighed, thinking about the advice Dan gave. Images of Chuck, Blair, his chorus class, and the band flashed through his brain.

_"Do you love me?" _Blair's voice echoed in his head. He then remembered running his fingers through Serena's long blonde hair, and how much he had enjoyed it.

_"Welcome to the band." _Nate remembered Dan's face on the day of tryouts. Nate thought about how excited he had felt when he heard Dan accept him. He remembered going to the music store and picking up the bass for the first time. He smiled nostalgically as he recalled playing the songs he wrote and how empowering it had felt.

_"Singing is for girls and __whimpy__ men." _Nate laughed, remembering Chuck's tone of voice as he said those words. He remembered exactly where they were after the chorus class assembly and how optimistic he had felt. He pictured Chuck in his mind, rolling his dark brown eyes in disgust and raising a smoldering cigarette to his lips. Nate's face went blank as he pictured Chuck again in his mind. This time he was sitting on a white bar chair in his room, looking at Nate very concerned.

_"Look, I care about three things, Nathaniel: money, the pleasures money brings me, and you. I'm just trying to have your back here." _Nate recognized how true that was.

Nate thought back to all of those nights when he showed up at Chuck's door, wanting to break down because his parents had been fighting again. Chuck was always there with a bottle of alcohol and plenty of hilarious remarks. Nate smiled as he remembered back to when they were preteens, and when Chuck had told him all about what sex was. He remembered the many whispers and rumors that had been spread about him over the years and how Chuck always shot down anyone who dared speak those things about him.

_"Nate, my jump rope came undone! Help me tie it!" _Blair's seven-year old voice came to Nate's mind.

_"I'm helping Serena!" _he had replied as he gave the laughing Serena a push on the swings. He had spent a few more minutes with her before running over to Blair, only to discover that Chuck had tied her jump rope for her. He had watched them jump through it together, chanting and laughing happily.

_"Why is she mad?" _Nate remembered asking Chuck in a bar. They were fifteen, and Blair had become angry with him again. Chuck had placed his scotch glass down and smirked, greatly amused.

_"You never do know why she's mad, do you?" _Nate frowned, and he suddenly recalled all of the days he and Chuck had spent together when Nate felt down and just wanted to go somewhere and do something. He remembered one recent time as clear as a bell. His dad had lectured him about Dartmouth college and why he would go there and nowhere else. Nate had been so upset that he had ran to Central Park just to get away. He had called Chuck and told him the story, and Chuck had shown up in a second.

_"Thanks for coming. You didn't have to," _Nate remembered saying. Chuck had smiled.

_"I'm your best friend, Nathaniel. It's kind of my job." _

Nate stood up, thinking about how angry he had been that Saturday night. Chuck was the one person he could rely on in the entire world. And he had hurt him physically and attempted to hurt him even more for no reason.

_"You're __jealous now, Nathaniel. You're jealous of what you can't have, and you're jealous that no matter how many times you started over, she never loved you."_

_"He's not my best friend anymore. He's as much worth to me as a used condom." _

Nate's heart collapsed in his chest, not believing that he had said what he did. He looked down at his limp hands in his lap, and for a moment felt like he had ruined his own life. That was when he stood up and walked back to class, a smile spreading across his face. Suddenly, Nathaniel Archibald knew exactly what he wanted. His life wasn't ruined; it was only beginning.

* * *

Chuck hit the ground hard, and his cheek became scratched by the rough fiber of the rug. He turned his head upward and looked into the disappointed, angered eyes of his father. Bart Bass stared at his son as if he were a bug he was about to step on.

"I don't know how many more times I have to say it," Bart said coldly. He slammed the suite's door behind him, and Chuck cringed. Bart walked over to the bar and went right for the scotch. "When you came to me with the idea for Victrola, I really thought different about you, son." He poured the brown liquid into a glass as Chuck staggered to his feet. He considered himself lucky that he only got a shove through the door. Bart raised the now-filled glass to his face and he stared at it as if contemplating. "I thought you were making something of yourself. You weren't bringing home women anymore, you got a D on a test that one week instead of failing…" Bart guzzled down all of the scotch in one gulp, then looked at his son harshly. "And then you go and spit in my face for hoping." He slammed the glass down on the bar and Chuck jumped. He hated how jittery his father made him sometimes. At least Chuck knew where he got his scaring tactics from.

"I'm telling you, it was Nate," Chuck said. He grabbed the back of an armchair and leaned on it. Bart laughed a little.

"Do you honestly think me that stupid, Chuck? You should give your father a little more credit. Nate Archibald and a Karma Sutra book, hah! That's a mighty fine laugh." He poured more scotch in his glass. Chuck looked down.

"I just lied to the principal," Chuck admitted. "Maybe if you were home once and a while, you would know that Nate and I are in a fight and that Blair and I are dating." At hearing this, Bart spit the alcohol in his mouth back into the glass.

"What?!" Bart asked. Chuck knew he shouldn't have said anything, especially the last part.

"Blair broke up with Nate and we're dating now. Nathaniel's angry and not speaking to me."

Bart looked off to the side for a few moments in shock. Then he walked out from behind the bar and over to his son gently. He stared down at his own reflection in Chuck's deep, widened eyes for a few moments. Then he slapped Chuck across the face on the same cheek that had hit the ground coming in. The force was so great that Chuck felt his face sting. Chuck thought about how sick he was of everyone hitting him. No one could compare to his father's occasional wrath, though. Bart didn't hit him often but when he did it hurt more than anything. Bart continued to stare down at Chuck, his eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"How could you?" Bart asked calmly. That was the worst thing about Chuck's father. He never raised his voice; he just slowly took his anger out, making Chuck feel stupid for living. "You and Nathaniel have been best friends for years. How could you steal his girlfriend?"

Chuck paused for a moment, looking back up at his father with big eyes. The left side of his face was still hurting and throbbing, and Chuck thought of nothing but putting cold water on it.

"Because I care about her. He doesn't," Chuck said simply. Bart's chest heaved, and he shook his head.

"Charles, why do you always have to screw everything up? The Archibalds are a prominent family. Maybe not as well known as the Waldorfs, but definitely richer."

"And more troubled," Chuck said. "But who am I to point out a troubled family?" Bart looked a little disturbed by his son's comment.

"We're not troubled. I have everything I could've dreamed of. Money, nice suits, whenever vacations, you…" Chuck noticed how he wasn't even in the top three.

"Everything except mom," Chuck commented.

"We'll have that soon. Lily will be your mother."

"A lot good that will do. I feel almost bad for the Van Der Woodsens, getting suckered into our life." Chuck crossed his arms, and his father looked almost hurt.

"Suckered? I happen to love Lily."

"Like you love me, I'm guessing," Chuck said sarcastically. Bart suddenly grabbed Chuck by the shoulders and pressed his fingers down so hard that he nearly penetrated Chuck's muscles. Chuck kept his arms folded to resist his father's strong grasp. He continued looking down. Bart shook Chuck slightly but firmly and looked down upon him with hardened eyes.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," Bart ordered, his voice strict but staying the same composed tone. Chuck looked up slowly.

"Now you listen to me and you listen good. _Everything _I do is for you and your future. I built up my business to what it is so that you can take the reins one day. I invest so that you will never have to worry about being one of those bums on the streets in Manhattan. You've always had the world at your fingertips. What more could you possibly want?"

_"You and mom," _Chuck thought, but he said nothing. He had managed without them for most of his life. Pretty poorly up until recently, but he still managed. It wasn't like his mom was magically going to come back to his dad and his dad would stay home again, like in the dreams he sometimes had as a child. Bart let go of Chuck's shoulders but his eyes didn't look away.

"I've given my life for you, Charles. It's about time you gave back." Bart walked back to the bar and drank the last of his scotch. Then he grabbed his briefcase which he had left on one of the chairs. "I'll be gone to a social with one of my clients. Don't wait up." And with that, Bart Bass walked out of the suite for the one trillionth time. Chuck stared at the door, his brow lowered.

"Give back? I've been trying to impress you for the past seventeen years," Chuck said irritably to his imaginary father. He walked to the bathroom and examined himself in the mirror. His cheek was red and bleeding very slightly, whether from the rug or his father's nail he wasn't sure. Chuck gently put a cold washcloth to his face. After he numbed the stinging pain he walked over to the bar and got himself some scotch. He checked the time as he drank. It was two o'clock. Blair wouldn't be out of school for another hour.

Chuck took his drink and went to his bed. He laid down and stared at the white ceiling tiles, thinking about everything that had happened the past few weeks and how his father never knew. His eyes closed, and he felt the alcohol kick in and relax him.

"Chuck!"

Chuck stirred a little, squinting as the light hit his eyes. As soon as his vision cleared, he sat up and looked at the clock: four twenty. Chuck didn't mean to sleep for so long. He sat up and out of the corner of his eye saw the outline of a tall figure. Chuck turned and frowned as he saw Nate.

"How did you get in?" Chuck asked bitterly. Nate straightened up, prepared for an interrogation.

"I have the spare key you gave to Blair that one morning at the brunch. After everything occurred, she gave it to me, saying I'd need it more than she would." Nate shuffled one foot over the other, looking around. "It feels like I haven't been here in ages." Chuck placed his long legs over the side of the bed and stretched his arms out in front of him. When he lowered them he leaned back on them and looked at Nate uncaringly.

"Cut the crap, Archibald. What do you want? Come to insult me again?" Chuck asked. He smiled a little. "Go ahead. This will be good for another laugh."

"I'm not here to insult you," Nate said.

"You want to hit me again, then?" Chuck asked cockily. "My father already gave me a good slap in the face, but everything else is yours. Except for the balls, please. Have enough heart for that."

"Chuck…" Nate paused, wanting to say something before getting straight to the point. He couldn't think of anything. "I'm really sorry." Chuck looked at him for a few moments, then smiled.

"You're pathetic," Chuck said. Nate arched an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb," Chuck said, crossing his arms and leaning forward. His voice had its familiar arrogant tone. "You saw today that you can't hold a candle to me when it comes to outwitting someone, so now you come crawling back on your hands and knees. Nothing you do troubles me, so you figure not to try anymore." He clicked his tongue in his mouth. "I'm disappointed, really. I thought you'd at least give it one more week before you realized how lame you are. This is almost upsetting." Nate looked extremely irritated, but his voice didn't rise.

"I came here to apologize, and you mock me. That is so like you, Chuck."

"You can't be serious." Chuck stood up, looking up from under lowered eyebrows and smirking. "You can't just waltz in here after all of that and be sorry." Nate shrugged, still looking aggravated.

"Well, I am." His face suddenly softened. "Look, I took the whole thing way out of proportion. I _was _upset that you took Blair. But it wasn't because I loved her or anything." He sighed. "Chuck, my whole life, everyone has decided things for me. My dad already has my future planned out. I barely pick out my own clothes. I guess that Blair was the only thing in my life that always belonged to me, even though we were planned too if you think about it." Chuck's overconfident attitude had disappeared. Nate noticed that Chuck was listening closely instead of ignoring him. "I realized after walking out of Dan's loft that you were right in what you said about me being jealous. I wanted to go back and apologize, but I didn't. Something terrible made me want to hurt you. It was the jealousy, worse than you can ever imagine. It wasn't jealousy of you and Blair; it was only jealousy of you."

"Me?" Chuck asked in a whisper. His mouth dropped open slightly in disbelief. _"Doesn't he have any idea how jealous I've always been of him?!" _

"You have the life I've always wanted. My father puts so much pressure on me in everything I do. I had to always want the life he planned for me and I've always had to grow up when he told me to grow up." Nate paused and looked down, the words getting harder for him to say. "I know that your father is rough on you, but at least you got to go out and drink and sleep with whoever you wanted. I always had to be with Blair, it was expected of me. You have the freedom I've only dared to dream of. Not to mention that you can go wherever you want with your future. I guess that when Blair went to you, it was like your life got a whole lot better. You got the girl you wanted, while the girl I want is unattainable."

"You mean Serena," Chuck said. Nate nodded slowly.

"I was a monster. I was angry at you for the privileges you have. That was so wrong of me that I won't even go into it. Especially since all you've ever done to me is be the best friend anyone could have." Nate looked back up, his voice shaky. "You're like my brother." Chuck smiled a little; so did Nate. "What I did to you was terrible, but I'm not jealous anymore, Chuck. I learned today that I've got to start taking charge and deciding what I want in my life instead of blaming my uncontrol on those I care about. And the first thing I want is for you to be my friend again." Nate suddenly looked a little worried. "Do you think you can ever forgive me?" Chuck smiled widely, thinking about when he had hated Nate when he had Blair. Jealousy had been the only thing to ever make them despise each other.

"I always have," Chuck said. Nate grinned, getting the answer that he had prayed for. Without Chuck's friendship his life was unsupported and dull. "For the record," Chuck said, "I was always jealous of you too." Nate laughed a little.

"I guess we're both guilty of that, hunh?" Nate asked. Chuck was about to throw in how he wouldn't have gone as far as Nate did, but he decided to hold his tongue. He just nodded and walked over to Nate.

"Come here, man," Chuck said. Nate put one arm around Chuck in a man-hug and Chuck returned it.

"I'm sorry," Nate said again.

"Don't think about it anymore," Chuck said. He pulled out of the hug and looked at his friend's face. His mouth formed into an unbelieving smirk. "Are you crying?!"

"No," Nate said, blinking. Chuck shook his head and punched Nate in the arm.

"You wuss," he said. Nate laughed.

"I really do belong in that boy band," Nate said through his laughs. Chuck laughed too, remembering back to that joke. When he stopped, he realized something.

"Does this mean you want to go back tot he band?" Chuck asked.

"I'm in. Are you?" Nate questioned. Chuck smiled.

"Yeah. Let me give Humphrey a call." He pulled out his cell phone and did just that. When Chuck told him the story, Dan was shocked into silence for so long that Chuck thought he had fainted.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Chuck said at the end of the conversation. He closed his phone and looked at Nate. "Humphrey didn't talk to the agent yet, thank God. He said that we'll have a meeting in the music room tomorrow after school. He told me he'd call Carter. Oh, and he also told me to tell you not to come in swinging this time." Nate laughed.

"He can guarantee that," Nate said. "Chuck, we're going to be rock stars!"

"Hang on Nathaniel, we're not famous yet," Chuck said.

"Or are we?" Nate asked. He suddenly frowned. "Stupid Gossip Girl, stalking my life." Chuck's face brightened as he got an idea.

"How about this?" Chuck asked. He walked over to a mirror and ran his fingers through his bedraggled hair to smooth it out. He was still in his school uniform but he didn't feel like changing. "How about we go out and get some drinks, and on the way there we'll list all of the names we can call that bitch?"

"Sounds perfect, except you just said the word that is the epitome of Gossip Girl," Nate said. Chuck looked at him.

"Epi-toe-what-the-hell?" he asked. Nate laughed out loud at Chuck's clueless expression.

"Epitome. The essence of," Nate described. Chuck shrugged.

"Don't worry, there are plenty of others. And if we can't think of anything, we'll go to a Border's and find a book that lists more," Chuck said with a smirk.

"That ought to be foreign to you," Nate said.

"You'll have to talk intelligently for me. Not that you're much better," Chuck joked. "Maybe we should get Humphrey, Mr. 'top ten percent in the school.'" Nate laughed, then he followed Chuck to the coat closet. Nate looked down uncomfortably.

"Chuck, can I ask you a favor?" Nate asked.

"What is it?" Chuck grabbed his tan coat from the closet and threw it on.

"Do you think I could stay here tonight? My mom's pretty pissed at me."

"Why's she pissed?" Chuck asked.

"I told her that I wasn't going to Dartmouth and that I'm going to major in something different then she and dad want me to. She threw a fit," Nate said. Chuck's mouth dropped open and it formed into a grin.

"You really are getting some backbone, Nathaniel! I'm impressed!" Chuck said.

"I told you! I'm not taking anyone's shit any more," Nate said.

"Good to see," Chuck said. "Sure, you can stay here. Lord knows you have so many times that my living room couch creates a molding of your figure. And that you are just like the wuss and I am just like the messy guy from 'The Odd Couple.'" Chuck's voice turned curious. "What _are_ you going to major in?" Nate was about to answer, but suddenly Chuck interrupted again. "Wait, wait. I want to hear all the details at the bar on how you decided it and how you told off your mom. First, I want to think up some names, because I hate that internet stalker bitch."

"That's one name," Nate said. Chuck opened the door and Nate walked halfway out before turning around. "The spying loser girl."

"Think a little dirtier, Nathaniel. You're free now, you can swear." The two walked out of the room and went to the elevator.

"Spying mother fucker!" Nate exclaimed loudly in the hall.

"There you go!" Chuck said. They chortled as they went into the elevator, as if no time had gone by.

**Spotted: C and N drinking and being merry in a classy bar near the Palace.**** They were laughing and talking the entire time, I wonder what was so ****funny?**** It seems like they're best friends once again. I knew it wouldn't last before C went back to normal. Now if only we could catch him going home with two skinny sluts, and all would be right in the world. B and S walking out of a spa, and S recieving a phone call at which she jumped up and down excitedly after hanging up. Could it be a message from lonelyboy? What is he up to now that his band is through, anyway? B has looked much happier lately, even though I hear that she put on two pounds. My explanation? B is enjoying C's company after all...in the form of mind blowing orgasms. **

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

* * *

"Hello?"

"Carter?"

"Is this Dan?" Carter sounded surprised.

"Yeah, it's me," Dan said happily. "You'll never guess what."

"What?" Carter asked. Dan smiled. He was so overjoyed that his band was getting back together.

"Chuck and Nate are friends again. They've stopped fighting, so the band will go on. We're having a meeting tomorrow after school in the music room, and our debut is still on Sunday."

"Dan, I can't."

Dan felt his stomach drop.

"What do you mean, 'you can't?'"

"I'm off to India in an hour. I'm sitting in the airport right now. I actually would've been gone already but the flight was delayed," Carter explained. Dan couldn't believe it.

"Carter, you can't leave! India's not going anywhere, you can leave after Sunday! We'll hold off practices until you get back for the next gig!" Dan exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Dan, but this is important. I have my own life. The band moved on, remember?" Carter asked. He talked like it had been years since Secret Addictions played.

"What is so important about it?! Is it a business trip, or are you just going for gambling again?!" Dan asked. Carter's voice became harsh.

"You guys are just a teenage band. It was a priority of mine before, but it broke up and now I have new priorities," Carter said.

"Is it because you found another get-rich-quick scheme since this one didn't work out so well for you?!" Dan asked. Carter was silent, and Dan sighed. "You know what your problem is, Carter? You never commit to anything or anyone. You could be successful if you didn't go away and obligate yourself to different things and the second your chances look bleak come back! That's exactly what you do!"

"You don't know me," Carter said through gritted teeth.

"I know that you said you wanted to be like me. I am the way I am because I see things through. I would never let down people who count on me," Dan said. Carter listened in silence. "Plus, you owe my dad one. You don't have to come back, Carter. But if you don't, and if I ever see you in New York in the future, I'll find no reason not to walk up and punch you in the face. Because people who don't settle on a purpose disgust me." Carter said nothing. He lowered the phone down subconsciously. He stared into space, feeling like Dan had just summarized his life. "Carter? Carter?! Hello?!" Dan shouted through the phone. Carter raised the phone back to his ear.

"Sorry," he said. "I was just thinking." There was a pause as Dan waited for an answer. He heard Carter sigh. "Alright Dan, I'll come back. But it's only to pay back you and your dad." Dan raised an eyebrow.

"Why me?" Dan asked.

"I don't think I ever would have realized what I did just now had I not met you." Carter hung up the phone, still lost in deep thought. Dan sat in puzzlement, wondering what Carter had realized. He thought back to what he told Nate, and how he and Chuck were friends again. He smiled as he put down the phone. Dan had gotten his band back together, and all it had taken were words.

* * *

"Stop pulling it!" Nate exclaimed. "I'm going to choke!"

"Stop moving your neck!" Chuck exclaimed. He twisted the collar around and let it hang on Nate's shoulders. "There, you're all nerdy." Nate turned to face Chuck, who was playing with the sleeve of his own red chorus robe. "God, we look ridiculous."

"Don't worry, it won't be long before we can go look cool," Nate said. He flattened down the yellow collar. "It's different, I'll give it that." Suddenly the doors of the music room slammed open and a certain dark-haired boy entered.

"You guys!" Dan exclaimed, rapidly running over to them.

"Hey Dan!" Nate exclaimed.

"Humphrey, where were you?!" Chuck asked.

"Traffic was terrible," Dan said. He leaned in and whispered to Chuck. "Do we have the vegetable soup?"

"It's in my back pocket and accounted for," Chuck whispered. "Is Carter at the club?"

"Yeah, he's making his way," Dan said. "He sent me a text." It was Sunday night, and ten minutes before seven o' clock. The boys were planning to get Nate sick at precisely 7:25, so he wouldn't have to do his solo and then they could sneak out.

"We have to each go one at a time to the bathroom so no one is suspicious," Chuck said.

"I'll go," Nate volunteered.

"Okay, as soon as we're done with attendance and warm ups, you head to the bathroom," Dan said to Nate. "Chuck will go next, then me."

"Who's got the compost mix?" Nate asked.

"I brought it. It's in my coat which I tossed in an empty locker close to the bathroom," Dan said. "I even added parmesan cheese so it seems like Nate ate pasta."

"Excellent," Chuck said with a grin. Just then Mr. Smith entered the room, looking very animated.

"Alright people, gather in your sections for warm ups!" Mr. Smith exclaimed. "This is the night we've been waiting for!" The three separated and waited patiently as Mr. Smith took attendance and led them through warm up songs. Finally, they finished. "I just want to say how proud I am of all of you. You have worked very hard. Now it's seven, and period one is up first!" Mr. Smith exclaimed. The period one boys hooted, making the best of their situation. They left in a big group, and Dan ran over to Nate.

"Nate, go into the bathroom when period two leaves. You'll blend right in," Dan said. Nate nodded, and five minutes later period two was called to be ready backstage. Nate ran quickly to the back of the group and stopped as soon as he got outside the music room. He ran for the bathroom.

"Nate?"

A small voice stopped him. He turned and smiled brightly once he saw who it was.

"Jenny!"

"How are you?" Jenny asked, blushing. She wasn't counting on seeing him after what Dan told her, so she was overjoyed.

"I'm great! How are you?" Nate asked.

"Pretty good, excited!" Jenny said.

"I thought Constance's concert was next week," Nate said.

"It is, but I'm in the a cappella choir. They invited us to do a special guest appearance. Maybe they wanted a little high voices in with the lows." Nate noticed she wore her black a capella gown.

"Well that sounds like fun! Dan never told me," Nate said.

"He's been busy." Jenny walked closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder, turning Nate red. "I know you guys are sneaking out tonight. He's probably too worried about the band," Jenny whispered. Nate smiled.

"Yeah, we're being bad," he whispered back. Jenny giggled.

"I wanted to see you sing your solo, but the band _is _more important." She stepped back a little and dropped her hand. "Good luck tonight, although I'm sure you won't need it." Nate grinned brightly.

"Thanks. You too," he replied. Suddenly, the door of the music room flung open and the period three group came out, hollering. Nate quickly grabbed Jenny's hand and pulled her with him behind an opposite wall where no one would see him. Jenny was shocked by the sudden motion, and almost tripped. Nate pulled her closer to him and caught her in his arms before she fell. She looked up and examined his slender face. She looked into his cerulean blue eyes and she couldn't find her breath.

"You have good reflexes," Jenny complimented, fighting the urge to bend up and kiss him. Nate smiled, flashing off a set of gorgeous white teeth.

"Thank you."

"A-hem!"

Nate and Jenny looked up to see a smirking and bright-eyed Chuck looking down at them. He put his hands behind his back and laughed in his throat.

"I see what's going on here. A little romance before the soldier goes off into battle?" Chuck asked, making his voice stretch slightly over each word. Both Nate and Jenny blushed as they stood up. Jenny was embarrassed, while Nate was annoyed.

"What are you doing here?!" Nate exclaimed in a whisper.

"I came out with group three and saw you two making a jump for your lives. You're supposed to be in the bathroom already, remember? Or is your mind too filled with thoughts of sex set to music?" Chuck asked. He continued to let his tongue roll over each word. Jenny rolled her eyes.

"I don't care what my brother and Serena say; you're still a creep," she said.

"Take it easy Little J, I approve of you two," Chuck said with a grin. "I'm taken, so you can't want me anymore. I know I'm irresistible, but that's the way it has to be."

"Um Jenny, I think you should go," Nate said.

"Yes, I think so," Jenny said with a hateful glare at Chuck. She turned back to Nate and beamed. "Goodnight, Nate. And don't worry, you'll be great tonight."

"So will you," Nate said. Jenny turned and ran down the hall. Nate smiled as he looked after her. Chuck shook his head and sang lowly.

"Got a big plan, his mind said maybe it's right, in the right place and right time, maybe tonight…"

"Shut up!" Nate exclaimed, punching Chuck in the shoulder. Chuck laughed, and then smiled once he stopped.

"You like her. I can tell," Chuck observed. Nate looked at his best friend, surprise showing blatently on his face.

"Do you really approve?" he asked.

"Yeah, you two could work. She's young, that's a plus," Chuck said.

"Great Chuck, date by age. That doesn't sound perverted at all," Nate said.

"Everyone does that, Nathaniel. Now come on, we have to go." Chuck started walking rapidly down the hall, and Nate ran to catch up with him.

"What about you? Is Blair coming tonight?" Nate asked. Chuck grinned.

"She said Eleanor had another party, but she was going to try to make it," Chuck said. "Hopefully she will."

"Serena will definitely be there," Nate said. "Dan said so." They found the bathroom and ran in. Chuck looked around; it was deserted. He placed the can on the counter and flipped the metal opening. He tossed the top of the can in the trash and threw paper towels over it. Chuck turned and handed the can to Nate.

"Go throw half in the toilet, half around it. They won't suspect a thing," Chuck said. Nate nodded, took the can from Chuck's hand, and went into a stall. Moments later Dan came in, carrying his black coat. He opened a pocket and pulled out a plastic baggie filled with compost. All of the boys' noses scrunched up, even Nate who was farther away. It already smelt bad.

"How's it coming?" Dan asked.

"Good," Chuck said. Nate poked his head out of the stall.

"You didn't tell me Jenny was going to be here!" he exclaimed. Dan smiled.

"What's your interest in Jenny?" Dan asked. Nate's face went blank. He motioned to the empty can. "Here Chuck, get rid of this." Chuck walked over and took the can from Nate. He looked in the stall.

"That's so gross. I'll make it grosser," Chuck said. He dipped his slim index and middle fingers into the soup can and got some excess off the edges. He moved towards Nate and Nate jumped back and squealed.

"No way are you putting that on me!" he exclaimed. Chuck sighed.

"Nathaniel, do you want them to believe us or not?!" Chuck asked. "Quit being such a girl. Besides, it's only soup."

"No, you're not doing that!" Nate exclaimed.

"Guys, keep it down! They'll hear us!" Dan exclaimed. He looked behind him worriedly. Then he opened the compost bag and walked in between Chuck and Nate. He went into the stall and spread the stuff around. "It's almost time, I'm sure. Nate, let Chuck do it."

"No!" Nate yelled. Chuck sighed. He took the can and turned it upside down on the front of Nate's head. Nate screamed and waved his arms.

"You're such a pansy!" Chuck exclaimed with an eye roll. He wiped his fingers off on Nate's robe and then tossed the can in the trash under paper towels. He washed his fingers off in the sink. "Now shut up, they'll be coming in here." Dan threw out the empty bag, then he walked to the sink and started washing his hands off.

"Get in the stall, Nate. Chuck, you go tell Mr. Smith. You're a better liar than I am," Dan said. Chuck nodded proudly and left the bathroom, making sure there wasn't any evidence on him. He found Mr. Smith standing backstage, observing the activity.

"Mr. Smith, Nathaniel isn't feeling well. I think he's throwing up," Chuck said. Mr. Smith's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked. He ran towards the bathroom and Chuck followed him. They entered and heard disgusting noises echoing off the walls. A pungent stench wafted through the air, making Mr. Smith hold his nose and cough. It smelt so gross that Chuck felt like he could've thrown up himself. Dan was standing outside of the first stall, and Nate was kneeling over the toilet inside. Dan walked over to Chuck and his teacher.

"Mr. Smith, Nate's really sick. He's been like this for the past ten minutes," Dan said. "I don't think he can go onstage." Nate made a few weird gurgling noises.

"How terrible!" Mr. Smith exclaimed. His voice sounded higher since he was holding his nose. "It smells awful. It's like parmesan cheese," Mr. Smith commented. Chuck held in a laugh, causing him to start shaking.

"He did have pasta and vegetable soup for dinner," Dan said. While Mr. Smith walked over to the stall, Dan stomped on Chuck's foot to make him stop laughing. Chuck's mouth opened but no sound came out. He mouthed the f bomb at Dan as Mr. Smith knocked on the stall door.

"Mr. Archibald, it's Mr. Smith. You won't be going onstage in your condition." He walked back over to Dan and Chuck. "Mr. Humphrey, stay with him and take him outside for some fresh air when he finally stops. Mr. Bass, come with me." Chuck looked relieved and followed Mr. Smith. Dan went over to Nate and opened the stall door.

"Good job!" Dan whispered. Nate answered with a smile, then went back to making more noises in case anyone else came in. Chuck and Mr. Smith left the bathroom and both took a few breaths.

"Dear God, that was horrible. The poor boy," Mr. Smith said with pity.

"It was his nerves, I think," Chuck said. He decided that was the last thing he would say on the matter. He didn't want Mr. Smith to get suspicious, especially since he knew about the band. However, it seemed like he had forgotten all about it.

"This is terrible." Mr. Smith folded his arms and paced back and forth slowly for a few moments. Chuck thought he looked more like a philosopher than a music teacher. Mr. Smith suddenly stopped and looked at him. "Mr. Bass, what I am about to ask goes against all of my personal opinions of you. It's a pity that Mr. Archibald is sick, but the concert must go on. Despite your lack of studious mannerisms, you do have the best voice out of anyone in my class."

Chuck froze, feeling his palms begin to sweat. He turned a little paler than usual, for he knew what was coming.

"Mr. Bass, will you take Mr. Archibald's solo tonight?"


	7. Final Chapter

**Well, here it is: the final chapter. I'm not one for author's closings, but I have to say one thing. Writing is my love, and whenever I finish any long story that I've been writing I become a little saddened. It feels like something that I've put so much effort into is done in the blink of an eye. I'm sure anyone reading this who also writes for enjoyment knows what I'm talking about. However, I really, really loved writing this story and I thank everyone who has read and supported it. I wrote the first chapter as a total gamble, not expecting it to receive the reviews it has. Thank you so much to you all; and yes, I will definitely write and post more stories here (go Waldass fluff!). It's been too much fun not to do it again.**

**The Music in Me: Chapter 7**

Chuck froze, and then involuntarily shook his head as his music teacher faced him with harsh, questioning eyes.

"I can't," Chuck said. Mr. Smith seemed confused.

"Why not?" he asked. Chuck rocked on his heels a little and put his arms behind his back. He cleared his throat, trying to push his uneasiness down to his feet. _"Why didn't I think about this option?!" _he asked himself. _"This is the last thing we needed." _

"I can't sing alone in front of people," Chuck made up a lie. Mr. Smith raised an eyebrow and studied Chuck's face.

"That's strange. You're always a very confident individual. Maybe even too much for your own good." Chuck almost frowned at that, but instead just smiled nervously. Mr. Smith straightened up, his chest sticking out. Chuck tried not to frown. He normally could think up lies on spot, but he knew Mr. Smith was wary of him.

"Maybe someone else could get a chance. Someone just as good," Chuck suggested.

"I already told you, you're the best singer in my class. You'll do it," Mr. Smith said. It wasn't a matter of choice anymore. The teacher began to turn around, when suddenly he faced Chuck once more. "If it will help, your father will be proud of you. He's sitting out there with his fiancée, Lily Van Der Woodsen. He won't be expecting you to walk out." Chuck was taken aback, as if he had just been hit with something.

"My dad is here?" Chuck asked, trying not to sound too surprised. His father never came to anything he was in. It was a huge shock to Chuck's system. Luckily, Mr. Smith didn't seem to realize.

"Yes. He's sitting in the third row," Mr. Smith said. He smiled a little. "Good luck, Mr. Bass. I'll see you backstage in a few minutes." He turned and walked away, leaving Chuck standing alone and baffled. He wondered why his father was there, when suddenly he heard a whisper.

"Chuck!" Chuck turned and saw Dan and Nate.

"We'll meet you at the limo outside!" Dan whispered. The two tried to sprint away on tiptoe. Chuck watched them go, then he looked back towards the stage. He crossed his arms and sighed. He had told his father about the concert, but he hadn't expected anything to come out of it--like Bart actually showing up. A small smile formed at Chuck's lips, and he almost laughed. People always said that _he _was full of surprises. Now he knew where he got it from. He was more like his father than he sometimes wished he was.

The smile vanished, and Chuck started pacing slowly back and forth. He sighed again and brought a hand back behind his head. He stopped walking and his face turned red as he considered his options on what to do.

Chuck knew that he could make both; he would just be really late to the band's performance. If he went out onstage and took Nate's solo, his father would see what he had been doing. He might even be a little proud. Not only that, but all of the parents of the rich St. Jude's boys would recognize the hidden talent he possessed. That would surely score some points with Bart.

Then Chuck thought about the band. He knew how angry Dan, Nate, and Carter would be with him if he were late. He didn't know how long the club crowd would hold off, either. A vision of Blair came to Chuck's mind. If she showed up and he wasn't there, she may be upset. Chuck closed his eyes, his stomach doing flip flops. He could deal with Dan and Nate alienating him again; Nate would probably forgive him in the end anyhow. But he couldn't lose Blair. If there was one thing he couldn't handle, it was that.

Chuck opened his eyes back up, a glint of resolution flickering in them. He realized how good he would make his dad look if he took the solo. Chuck was always secretly worried about his dad's opinion of him. It hung over his head constantly. Did his father ever care to ask him what he was up to? Never. He always assumed it was the same old crap.

Chuck took a deep breath, knowing what he was going to do. He was going to the people who did wonder about him and who did encourage him. Throughout his life, Chuck never thought he had a real family. He was wrong: his friends were his family. They had known each other since they were young, with the exception of Dan. Blair, Nate, and even Serena were in his earliest memories. Unlike Bart, his friends were always on call if he needed them.

"Moon River…wider than a mile. I'm crossing you in style…someday…"

Chuck turned his head slowly to the stage doors. He heard the high voices of Jenny and the other Constance a cappella girls resounding through the walls. Chuck thought he recognized the song, oddly enough. He walked forward, entering the enveloping blackness surrounding the stage doors. He grasped the handle of the door on the right side and opened it slowly.

A radiant light passed through the crack, causing Chuck to narrow his eyes. He could hear the lyrics more distinctly.

"Dream maker…you heart breaker…wherever you're going, I'm going your way…"

Chuck _did _know the song. He had heard it back in sixth grade. Blair had come down with a stomach flu, and he had gone over to her house with Nate for a visit. Blair had been watching "Breakfast at Tiffany's", her favorite romantic movie. Serena had shown up a little later. Nate and she had gone downstairs for some of Dorota's homemade chocolate cake, leaving Chuck and Blair alone. Chuck remembered going to sit with her on her bed and snuggling up next to her. Blair had looked up at him and smiled.

"Thanks for coming to see me, Chuck. It made me feel better," Blair had said. She had held his hand, and they had finished watching the movie. It was nothing Chuck would care to see again--he despised fluffy romantic stuff--but two lines of the song had stayed in his razor-sharp memory.

"Two drifters…off to see the world…there's so much of the world to see…"

Chuck smiled a little as he heard the lyrics he recognized. It could only remind him of Blair and the band. The pleasant voices only made him surer of his decision. He wasn't going to let his girlfriend down again, or his best friend, or the outsider who had envisioned that he could do more than he gave himself credit for.

_"Screw you, dad!" _

Chuck closed the door and unzipped the slip-on chorus robe in back. He grinned, feeling a sudden liberation. He felt a certain joy building up inside him, rising up from his chest. It was such a new feeling for him, one of pure relief. The last person whose opinion he cared about, the seemingly most important person's, didn't matter so much anymore. He placed the robe on top of a water fountain nearby, and took off rapidly in the direction that Dan and Nate had gone.

Chuck ran down the long halls, not seeing them. Had he really been standing around for a long time, or were they just quick? Chuck ran outside of the school and looked around, trying to catch sight of Nate or Dan. He squinted as a gust of chilly wind blew into his eyes. He could see his breath against the cold.

Chuck suddenly spotted the blonde head of a tall boy hopping into a limo. He smiled and ran towards them.

"Nate! Humphrey! Wait up!" Chuck called out. Nate poked his head out of the long car, and Dan looked in the direction of Chuck's voice.

"About time! Come on!" Dan called out. Chuck reached them and gave Dan a smirk.

"Temper Humphrey, temper." Chuck hopped into the limo as Dan shook his head. He got in after Chuck and closed the door. He told the driver where to go, and soon they were speeding down the streets.

"Yes! We made it!" Nate exclaimed, his eyes bright. "We ditched school!"

"Wow Nathaniel, you're such a rebel," Chuck said sarcastically. Nate talked in a high-pitched and fast tone from his excitement.

"I know, I know!" Nate exclaimed. Chuck smirked again, and Dan pulled out his cell phone to get in contact with Carter. Chuck reached to the floor and pulled up the clothes that he had brought.

"I'm changing, you two. No looking unless you want to compare sizes," Chuck said, moving over away from them as far as he could.

"Now where have I heard that before?" Dan asked with a smirk of his own. Just then, Carter picked up on the other end. "Hello? Carter? We're on our way," Dan said.

Suddenly, the limo came to a screeching halt. There was a major pothole in the middle of the road, and the driver hadn't seen it until the last second. Chuck was flung from his seat and onto the rubber mats of the limo's floor. From the side it looked like he had flown. Dan and Nate were wearing their seatbelts, but they were still jolted forward slightly. Dan gasped as he hit back against the seat. Nate let out an ear-piercing scream, sounding like the woman who was picked up by King Kong. Chuck looked up at the inner roof of the car for a few moments, in shock from the fall. Suddenly he started laughing hysterically, so hard that his face turned beet red.

"Yeah, we're okay," Dan told Carter on the phone. He looked down at the frenzied, shirtless Chuck who clutched his stomach and rolled on the floor. "Are you alright?" Dan asked.

"That was fucking awesome," Chuck said through his boisterous laughs. Nate was cracking up too.

"You flew like two feet!" Nate exclaimed. Dan started to laugh as he recalled seeing Chuck plummet forward.

"What? What's so funny?" Carter asked on the other end with a little smile. He was at the club and standing backstage, looking out at the group presently playing. Dan answered with a few laughs and wheezes.

"You're a such mess, Bass!" Carter heard Dan shout on the other end.

"Have you guys ever thought about how stupid our last names are?!" Nate asked, leaning back against the leather seat and cackling.

"Yeah, Dan's sounds like humping," Chuck said, getting up off the floor.

"At least mine doesn't rhyme with ass!" Dan exclaimed with another laugh. Carter wanted to laugh, not believing they were sober.

"I'll see you in a few," Carter said. He hung up the phone and looked out at the bright stage lights, the cheerful voices of the three boys echoing in his mind. He hoped that they would remain friends. Lord knew that he had wished for his friends back many times.

* * *

Dan peered out from the side of stage right and gulped. There were so many people in the club, a much larger crowd than he had expected. His eyes wandered over to the group playing onstage, and he smiled. He couldn't help but be reminded of his own band. He thought back to their first meeting in the music room. They had come such a long way since then. Even he didn't expect it to happen.

"Dan? Are you alright?" Dan turned and smiled.

"Yeah Nate, I'm fine. How about you?" Dan asked. Nate drew in a breath and looked outward toward the crowd.

"A little nervous," Nate admitted. He wore a loose, black t-shirt with black jeans and his hair was uncut and messy. He wore a black studded belt. Dan's hair was more styled, and he wore the black dress shirt with rolled up sleeves that he had talked about. The tie he wore was striped black and white, and tied very loosely around his neck.

"You'll be fine," said Carter's sudden voice from behind them. He looked outward towards the crowd as well. "We'll all be." He sighed. "So this is it, you guys. The moment we've been waiting for." He turned to Dan. "Is the agent out there?"

"Oh yeah. In fact, I think I see him in the third row," Dan said. He turned behind him and looked at Carter. "This is the first time I've ever seen you dressed in something other than a suit." Carter wore a black t-shirt like Nate did. It had white words written on the chest that read, "I'm not lying. I'm bullshitting." Carter smiled.

"Yeah, I actually borrowed this from an old friend from France. I never gave it back," Carter said. All three of them suddenly got a whiff of cigarette smoke.

"What are we looking at?" Chuck asked, appearing next to Carter out of nowhere. He wore a black leather vest with no shirt underneath, revealing his toned chest and muscular arms. His dark brown hair was spiked up with jell. Chuck had just gotten it cut so that it was short enough to spike but not too short. He blew some white cigarette smoke out through a pouted mouth.

"The crowd," Dan whispered.

"How big is it? Let me see," Chuck stated. He pushed Nate down and tried to look over his head. Nate yelped as Chuck suddenly pressed down on his shoulders and hopped over him. Chuck looked outside and smiled. "It's big. Good," he said. "I was worried that you would be bringing us to a loser club, Humphrey."

"I told you, my dad has played here before. I would never take us places he hasn't guaranteed have good audiences," Dan commented. He looked back at all of them and sighed. "Tonight is it, you guys. Either we make history or we fail."

"Even failures make history. That's what sucks. You're either screwed or you're not, and either way you're infamous," Chuck said. He took a puff from his cigarette.

"Hey Chuck, what happened to the white and black scarf?" Nate asked jokingly.

"Come to think of it, I haven't even seen you with your regular scarf lately," Dan said. He looked at Chuck and smirked. "Has the emblem of New York's seventeen year old sex pervert been locked away?" Chuck smiled.

"Not for when it's cold, or when I feel like being a smart-ass," Chuck said.

"You're a smart ass all the time," Carter observed.

"Yeah, but not a single one anymore," Chuck said.

"Oh, so _that's _what it's about," Nate said, giving Chuck a punch in the shoulder. "You don't wear it around Blair?" Chuck's eyes glinted naughtily.

"Who says I don't?" Chuck asked.

"Okay, TMI," Carter said, looking back out at the stage.

"There are only two ways to stay warm in the winter, after all," Chuck said, dragging out his voice. He grinned smarmily. "Scarves can be used both ways; you just need to have a good imagination."

"Holy shit, what part of 'TMI' do you not understand?!" Carter asked, trying to stop the images forming in his mind. Chuck and Nate laughed. Dan looked back at all of them once more and smiled, thinking again about how great of a band they had become. He never would have thought the three Upper East Side boys would have helped him become a musician.

The group onstage had one last guitar strum, and then they took their bows. The club people went wild, cheering and clapping. Carter looked his watch and saw that it was eight. The other group walked off stage left, and a man came up on stage and walked up to the microphone.

"That was one of our regulars, 'Death Living.' Our next guest group tonight consists of four guys whose oldest member is twenty-one. New to the music scene, let's have a hand for 'Secret Addictions!'"

There was a bust of screams and applause from the audience, who either were really excited or really drunk…most likely both. Dan picked up his father's guitar that rested on a stand nearby. He looked at his band members and smiled.

"You guys ready to face the music?" he asked quirkily.

"That was so bad," Chuck told him. And then they stepped out into the blinding light.

* * *

Blair hopped out of her limousine and looked up at the club's overhanging, neon sign. She smiled as she bounce-walked over to the man who held the guest list. Everyone standing in line waiting to get in watched her approach and frowned. She looked rich in an elegant forest green short dress, black tights, and carrying a Dolce black purse. They wouldn't be getting in before her. Blair walked up to the tall man with the guest list, who peered at her over gigantic black sunglasses. Blair smiled at him giddily, and the man noticed a diamond necklace glittering on her neck.

"Waldorf," she stated. The man looked at the list near the end, and then nodded.

"You can go," he said. Blair walked past him and to the large brown doors. She pushed them open, and immediately a flood of illuminations struck her eyes. Blair stepped inside, trying to regain her vision. She heard a bunch of loud cheering from the people around her. She looked and saw many couples dancing, talking, and some walking away to make out behind the building. Some groups of friends were hanging together by the bar.

Through all of the commotion and excitement, Blair could distinctly hear the flowing, entrancing voice of her boyfriend. She pushed through a few people to get closer to the stage. Once she approached the middle of the room she looked up and through the intense lights. She spotted Carter in the back, banging on the drums and occasionally singing. Dan stood on stage right, strumming his guitar and jumping up and down. Blair couldn't help but smile a little. Cabbage patch was such a showman. Her eyes quickly darted over and she saw Nate on stage left, holding his bass guitar and singing through a smiling mouth. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Blair was done with her quick looks. Her eyes went to the boy at center stage.

Chuck grasped the microphone in one hand as he sang. He mainly stayed at center stage, but he occasionally moved back and forth from Nate's side to Dan's. Blair watched him with amazed, gleaming eyes. Chuck looked so content up there, not to mention incredibly hot. Blair grinned, not believing how astonished he made her with everything he did. She realized that he impressed her onstage just like she had impressed him onstage at Victrola the night he fell for her. Except that Chuck wasn't stripping.

There was a musical interlude, and after Dan's guitar solo there was a drum beat that started to grow.

"Is it always this hot at this club, or is it just because we're here?" Chuck asked aloud. A few people in the audience laughed.

"I think it's more our audience," Dan said, keeping his showman attitude in tact to cover up Chuck's natural haughty ways. Blair saw her chance.

"I say take it all off!" she exclaimed loudly. Chuck looked in her direction right before he went back to the refrain. He spotted her and smiled widely. Blair waved a little, grinning brightly back. She was surprised he had heard her over the music and the cheers. A handsome man over at the bar spotted Blair in the center of the room and he approached her suavely.

"Hi," he said in a husky voice. "What's your name?" Blair looked at him.

"I'm Blair Waldorf." She pointed to Chuck onstage. "_That's_ my boyfriend," she said proudly. She turned back to face the stage. "And I love him to death!" she exclaimed at the top of her lungs. The man walked away, seeing how crazy she was for the lead singer. Another person with flowing blonde hair took his place.

"Blair! You came!" Serena exclaimed, running over to her best friend.

"Of course, S. What do you take me for?" Blair asked jokingly. She looked back up at Chuck and eyed him as she heard his smooth voice crooning a new song.

"There was nothing he could do…his poor sis was doomed…" Chuck sang, his dark brown eyes glaring sexily downward. Blair smiled, not believing that he was hers. She looked around, noticing for the first time that the crowd's reaction was very positive. She couldn't believe how much people seemed to love the music.

"They're really great, aren't they?" Blair asked. She was a little surprised that they were such a big hit. Serena looked up at Dan onstage, his graceful fingers flying from string to string. He sang with such emotion in his voice and played like he was releasing a fire from his soul. Serena smiled happily, glad that her boyfriend's efforts had paid off.

"Yeah B. They really are."

* * *

"Oh my God, that was awesome!" Nate exclaimed as they entered the backstage area. He high fived Carter, then jumped in the air with an excited yelp. "It was so exhilarating!" Nate beamed as if he had won a million dollars.

"We totally rocked ass," Dan said, grinning himself.

"Hell yeah!" Chuck said, giving Nate a playful shove. Nate shoved back, and then Dan shoved Chuck. Their adrenaline was on high after the crowd's reaction to their first performance.

"I hate those lights! I'm sweating so much," Carter said, wiping his forehead with his hand.

"Dude, whatever! They loved us!" Chuck exclaimed in disbelief. He had never expected such positive feedback.

"Chuck!"

Chuck turned and saw Blair standing in the doorway of the backstage door. They both grinned excitedly, and Chuck ran over to her. He opened his arms and she fell right into them. They looked at one another, loving the thrilled sparks in each other's eyes.

"What did you think, Waldorf? Were we good?" Chuck asked, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

"No, Bass," Blair said. She smiled. "You were fantastic." She playfully ran a finger up from the center of his bare chest to his warm face, and up to his head. She tapped the spikes in his hair and giggled in her throat before reaching up to kiss his soft lips. Chuck kissed back, delving deep into her mouth. Nate watched from where he was standing, a huge grin spreading across his face. He noticed the way that they fit together, and the adoring way they looked at one another when they stopped kissing. He knew that they really were made for each other.

"Nate, are you okay?" Dan asked, coming up from behind him. He noticed what Nate was looking at. Nate turned to Dan, still smiling.

"I've never been better," Nate answered with surety. He looked back to the backstage door and then back to Dan. "There's someone looking for you." Dan turned his head toward the doorway and smiled as he saw Serena squeezing past Chuck and Blair. He turned to Nate. Nate smiled and took Dan's guitar out of his hands. "Go ahead," Nate urged. Dan smiled thankfully and ran over to Serena, who squealed happily upon seeing him. She jumped into his arms and looked down at him with affectionate eyes. Dan looked back up at her, and Nate saw them talking for a few seconds before they kissed. Dan placed Serena back onto the floor, and she placed her hands on his face as they stayed lip-locked. Nate continued to smile, knowing that one day it would be him.

* * *

Harold Price was a successful music agent. He usually hung around the clubs, searching for random talent that he could expand and show to the world. When he had met with Dan and Rufus Humphrey, he had doubts that a band composed of three seventeen year olds who practiced in a school music room could be anything special. They had sure proved him wrong.

Harold walked backstage and saw the four boys sitting in a group with two girls, a brunette and a blonde. He recognized Dan Humphrey, whose lap the blonde had placed herself on. He walked over to the group.

"Mr. Humphrey?" Harold asked. Dan looked up and smiled.

"Mr. Price!" He looked at Serena. "Can you excuse me for a minute?" Serena looked at the agent and smiled, knowing he was going to say something good.

"Of course," she said, standing up off of Dan's lap. Dan stood up, along with Chuck, Nate, and Carter. The four boys walked over with Harold to the corner. Harold cleared his throat before giving them all an approving smile.

"You four have it," Harold said. "I never thought you could pull it off, but I was wrong. There was some serious talent up on that stage a few moments ago." The boys couldn't help but smile with pride. "I'm willing to sign you all on a contract." Dan's mouth dropped open in shock, and his eyes popped out of their sockets. Chuck let out an exclamatory sound and roughly patted Dan on the shoulder. Carter crossed his arms and nodded with a smile, as if he knew it all along. Nate nearly fainted.

"That's incredible!" Dan finally uttered. "Wow, I'm…I'm so shocked that I don't even know how to react right now."

"How about telling us how fantastic we are?" Chuck suggested with a smirk.

"Your work has paid off, Mr. Humphrey. And it doesn't end at a contract. There'll be studios booking you, concert dates to be made..."

"What about tours?" Carter asked. If Carter was a cartoon character, there would have been dollar signs flashing in his eyes.

"I have no doubt. The possibilities are endless!" Harold exclaimed. "I can get you to California right away, the day after tomorrow even." Dan raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, California?" Dan asked.

"Of course. California is where the life of stars is at, Mr. Humphrey. I have connections there, friends who can make you guys the hottest new rock group in America. I would give you directions from here in New York, but it wouldn't be a problem." Harold seemed enthusiastic. So did Carter, who looked at his fellow group members with a smile.

"Sounds good, you guys," Carter said.

"Yeah, it does," Dan said. He smiled weakly, then turned to Harold. "Can we have a few moments alone to discuss this?"

"Sure," Harold said. He walked off to the corner of the room, far from the four. Dan huddled them together.

"What do you guys think?" Dan asked.

"It's everything we've dreamed of! It's like fame in the bag!" Carter exclaimed. "Guys, do you know how many people try to get famous and how many years it normally takes? We're one of the lucky few! It's great!" There was a silence, and Carter looked slightly annoyed. "Well, isn't it?" he asked.

"Guys…" Nate said, looking down at his feet. The others looked at him, and he looked back up with a face colored red with shame. "I know this is going to sound stupid, but I don't want to leave here."

"What?!" Carter asked.

"The life of an Upper East Sider is all I know. I wouldn't fit in with the stars. I mean, California would be a great place to live, but I'm just not outgoing like that," Nate said. "Plus, this city is my home. I only have one more year left before I become an adult. I want to graduate here. I think I finally know where I'm going with my life, and that's the first step." Carter looked at Nate like he was a dumb-ass, then at Dan.

"Dan, you can't seriously agree with him," Carter stated with a harsh tone. Dan looked down, blushing himself.

"I wasn't expecting having to leave. Nate is right. I think I'd want to finish school before anything else," Dan said. Carter shook his head, his mouth gaping open.

"I do not believe this! Dan, this was your dream! The whole point of making the band was to get famous! Now we have the opportunity that rarely comes along, and you just want to throw it all away?!" Carter asked. "We worked so hard, all for this! You can't say no, you can't!" Dan crossed his arms and looked up at Carter with a sigh.

"To be honest, Carter, I was only really thinking about our first performance and how we would sound. After that I honestly wasn't sure about what I was going to do. I thought maybe we could record some CD's and all, but not in California. As amazing as this whole experience is, I can't let it takeover my life. I have school to finish and responsibilities to handle," Dan said. "I never thought the whole point of the band was to get famous. It was a personal experiment for me, to see what I could do with music. It was like testing a new roller coaster, you could say. I didn't know that we would be this good, that we would have come this far." Carter threw his hands up in the air.

"I'll say it again. I just do not believe what I'm hearing right now!" Carter turned and looked at a deep-in-thought Chuck, who had rested his chin on a cupped hand. "Chuck, you were in it for this, weren't you?! I know you have more sense than these two. You'd never turn down a chance like this." Chuck stared downward at the floor, and then he turned behind him to look at Blair. She stared at him with broad doe eyes, wondering what was going on.

If anyone had told Chuck Bass a few months ago that he would be turning down a chance at fame for Blair Waldorf, he would have laughed in their faces and smacked them for saying such crazy things. Now, he didn't think he could be without her. She was his dream--she had _always _been his dream. She had turned him into something good that he never thought he could be. Chuck continued to look at Blair as he pondered the thought of what he would be without her. Then he turned back around and looked at Carter.

"I would agree with you…if I didn't have reasons for staying too," Chuck said. Carter shook his head.

"You're all idiots." Carter laughed a little. "You're all idiots! Do you realize that you're giving up the life everyone dreams of having?! And for what?! School and girlfriends and other, less promising hopes for the future." Chuck looked over at Carter with slit eyes. His mouth twitched downward in annoyance.

"If you had commitment to any of those things, Baizen, you wouldn't be in this group, would you?" Chuck asked. Carter's fists clenched in anger and Chuck smirked. "If you were committed to any of those things, you wouldn't be stealing and cheating people out in the world, would you be?" Carter's moss green eyes flickered with anger.

"I have been more committed to this band than I ever have been to anything else in my life, and what do I have to show for it?! Nothing! Nothing but wasted hours of my precious time!" Carter exclaimed.

"Carter," Dan said, keeping his voice calm. "I never thought that I would pick people like you or Chuck or Nate to be in my rock band. Yet I did, and I learned things about you all, good things, that I never would have known before. I know that I didn't waste my hours getting to know you guys better. If you think that it was all a big waste of time hanging around with us, then I feel sorry for you," Dan said. Carter paused, not expecting those words to come from anyone let alone Dan.

"So that's it, then?" Carter suddenly asked. His voice shook a little. "The band is done?"

"No," Dan said with a small smile. "I say we still make new stuff and still get club gigs. That way it can still be like a hobby of ours without becoming something too big."

"I like that idea!" Nate exclaimed. "It's like having your cake and eating it too!"

"I agree," Chuck said with a slight nod. He couldn't believe he was actually agreeing with Dan on something. Then he realized that he had been doing so for a while.

"We'll still get money for it," Dan said. "So it will be all cool."

"No, it won't be," Carter said. The three looked at him and he shook his head. "I'm done. I'm sorry, but I'm done."

"Baizen, quit acting so asinine," Chuck said with a bitter voice. Carter didn't become angry in response, but instead his face turned genuinely saddened.

"There's no future left for me here. I thought maybe if we went on to bigger things, I wouldn't have to worry about finding steady ground," Carter said.

"What does that mean?" Dan asked. Carter sighed, knowing in his heart how much better the three of them were than him. He envied every one of them.

"You guys are right. You have commitments, things to live for now. I never have. If there's one thing I learned from all of you, it's that I've been missing out on that my whole life. I need to find it." Carter smiled a little at their baffled expressions. "I know. I hardly understand what I'm thinking myself. But it's how I feel." He suddenly reached over to Nate and extended a hand. "Nate, it was great getting to know you again."

"Yeah, you too," Nate said, shaking Carter's hand back awkwardly. He didn't know how else to respond. Carter turned to Chuck, who crossed his arms and smirked as he waited for Carter to say something to him. Carter shook his head.

"Chuck, if there's one person who stole my spotlight in this town, I'm glad it was someone more despicable and wittier than me," Carter admitted. Chuck grinned cockily.

"At least you realize that you got beaten by the best. Oh, and Baizen, I'll be sure to have a billion more faulty checks ready hence you come onto my territory again," Chuck said in a mock threat.

"I'll remember that," Carter said with a smile. Nate and Dan looked confused, but decided to ask about it later. Carter then looked at Dan and paused for a moment.

"What else can I say…except thank you so much for everything, Dan."

"You're welcome," Dan said. "Are you sure you're not staying? We'll have lost a good drummer." Carter smiled.

"Thanks, but I'm sure you can learn more. I'm going to try not to come back, like you said I always do. But trust me; I won't forget this anytime soon." Carter slowly turned and walked away, leaving an empty space in the circle. Nate moved in a little and filled it in.

"You do realize what we just did, right guys?" Nate asked. "We basically just threw away the best chance at fame any of us will ever get." Chuck looked back at Blair and smiled, not regretting it in the least.

"Yeah, but who says we still can't play? Who says we still can't go chase the music?" Dan asked.

"Oh no, you're not going to get all sappy and musically reflective, are you?" Chuck asked with an eye roll. Dan smiled.

"I _am _my father's son," Dan said. They laughed a little, knowing how true that was. "Come on, let's go tell Mr. Price about how big of idiots we are," Dan joked. They walked over to tell the agent that they were planning to stay in New York but continue the group for fun. Harold completely understood that they wanted to wrap up their teenage years. He gave them the number of a recording studio in Brooklyn and told them to call him if they ever changed their minds.

As he stood talking in the group, Chuck caught sight of a silhouette in the entryway. He looked past Dan's head and saw Carter about to walk out the open door of the backstage. Carter carried his brown briefcase and his drum sticks in one hand. He checked his watch on the opposite wrist, and then he looked up right at the three boys. He noticed that Chuck had spotted him, and Chuck kept looking on, wondering what Carter was going to do next. Carter smiled at him a little before turning his back and slowly walking out the backstage door.

That was the last time Chuck would ever see him.

Mr. Price left, and the three boys walked back over to Blair and Serena.

"Well, guys?! Did he offer you a contract?!" Serena asked excitedly.

"He did, but we turned it down," Dan said. At this, both of the girls examined all of them in complete shock and confusion.

"Why the hell would you do that?!" Blair asked sharply. Chuck smirked a little at her confusion, then casually put his arm around her shoulder.

"Come with me, Waldorf. I'll tell you in private." Chuck began to lead her to the backstage door, but turned around slightly as he walked to see Dan and Nate trying to explain the story to Serena. Chuck smiled, knowing that she would understand. They reached the door, Chuck opened it, and the couple walked outside. The sky above them was pitch black, but a few stars dotted it as if it were a background for a play. The fresh scent of mist hung in the air, making everything seem fresh. Chuck pulled Blair over to the wall and they both leaned up against it. His arm never left from behind her head, and his body leaned in close to hers. Blair's face was scrunched like that of an impatient five year old. Her facial features softened as Chuck looked down at her with warm eyes as dark as the sky above them. He gently lifted her chin up with his thumb so that she completely faced him.

"Your little charms won't distract me, Bass," Blair said. Chuck smiled and brought his hand over to the side of her face and moved some of her hair back behind her ear.

"You think I'm trying to distract you?" he asked. A star brightened in the sky above, casting a very dim light down on both of their faces. They gazed at one another gently, hearing nothing but each other's calm breaths. The misty aroma, combined with Chuck's natural manly scent, stimulated Blair's senses.

"Yeah. Knock it off," Blair said teasingly. Chuck's eyes moved downward and she felt him examining her. He worked his way up, finally stopping when his eyes met hers again. Blair's stomach twisted as his stare burned through her, just like the night in the music room. He held her there in a tensioned trace until he blinked. Chuck laughed slightly when she blinked at the same time he did. Blair turned red with embarrassment and shook her head. "Now you're doing it on purpose," she said.

"Guilty as charged," Chuck said lowly. He smiled sinfully. "You look ravishing tonight," he whispered. Blair blushed and giggled, then slapped him on the shoulder lightheartedly.

"Seriously, stop!" she exclaimed. She tried to not let his flattery distract her. "What about the band? Why did you turn it down?"

"Nate and Dan didn't want to leave New York, and neither did I. We would have had to go to California for arrangements," Chuck said.

"Why didn't you want to leave?" Blair asked. Chuck looked at her and said nothing. Blair put a hand to an open mouth, realizing. "You stayed behind for me?!" she asked in disbelief. Chuck nodded slowly, and Blair gasped. The last thing she wanted was to be in his way of success. "Chuck, don't do that! Don't feel obligated to stay behind! Don't give up your dreams for me!" Chuck moved his arm out from behind her head and took both of her hands in his. He looked down at her with sincerity.

"Blair, my dream is standing right in front of me," Chuck said. Blair felt her heart fluttering, and Chuck softly stroked her fingers with his. "You were always what I dreamed of, even if I didn't realize it until recently. I finally got what I've always wanted, and to be away from it would literally kill me." Blair smiled so widely her cheeks hurt. She held back the tears forming in her eyes, realizing that she would have done the same for him. Even if everyone else told her it would be a dumb move, she would have given it up for him too. They loved each other _that _much. She had never truly appreciated that fact--until now.

Blair wrapped her arms around Chuck and laid her head on his shoulder. Chuck hugged her back, securing her in his strong arms. They stayed that way for a few minutes, two figures standing against the blackness of night. Blair finally pulled back a little and looked at the face of the man who not only loved her but set her free.

"I love you Chuck."

His tender fingers moved to the diamonds sparkling on her neck, and then moved upward to trace her red lips. He smiled as he moved his fingers away from her lips and replaced them with his own. Once they stopped he gently grabbed her hand once more.

"I love you too, Blair." They walked hand-in-hand back into the club, where they joined Nate and Dan in singing one of the Secret Addictions songs in celebration.

* * *

Many philosophers throughout history, as great of thinkers as they were, could never define a dream. All they knew was that dreams were not constants and that they could change throughout a life. Today, people know that dreams are influenced by human emotions and human relationships. The simple actions of one person can make another person realize what dream they wish to follow. The four members of Secret Addictions didn't know how true this was for all of them. They understood what dreams they wanted to grasp all because of a few notes and chords.

_"Live and learn from fools and from sages…you know it's true, all things come back to you. Sing with me, sing for the years; sing for the laughter, sing for the tears." _

_Aerosmith_

The night at the Brooklyn club was Secret Addictions' first performance, but it wasn't the last. Dan continued to practice the drums, and Nate began lessons as well (as soon as he was keen with the bass guitar). They played in clubs in both Brooklyn and the Upper East Side, and they never failed to impress their audiences. They became New York's own private, infamous band. People began to find out where they were playing next and would go to see them again. Many other agents approached the group asking for contracts and such, only to repeatedly be turned down.

The three continued to meet every Thursday after school in the music room to create and sing new songs. Word eventually got out that they did so, and soon many fans and freshmen aspirers came to quietly watch them practice. There were some random Thursdays when the group didn't feel like doing much work, but they still met in the music room. On these days they wouldn't let anyone in, and they just ordered takeout and hung out.

Secret Addictions recorded seven CD's containing all of the songs that they ever made, even some that they never performed. The recording studio that Harold Price had suggested always welcomed them. At first the CD's were only intended for personal nostalgia, and the group kept their copies to themselves for a year. Finally, Chuck's repeated suggestion to sell the CD's was finally taken to heart. Dan arranged for many burned copies to be made, and they were sold at the Brooklyn club on the night of the group's second-to-final performance. The copies sold out completely.

Secret Addictions took their final bows on the night of the St. Jude's prom. They had been requested by the students and Mr. Smith to play a live show. When the three boys left the stage, the senior classes of St. Jude's and Constance Billard knew that their class's band had turned into their class's legacy.

Chuck, Dan, and Nate knew their band was a legacy, too. For more personal reasons.

_"It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you've had the time of your life." _

_Green Day_

Gossip Girl disappeared in the last days of summer before senior year. Her last biggest story was the wedding of Bart Bass and Lily Van Der Woodsen, the event which all of her favorite people attended. However, with all of the Upper East Siders and lonelyboy getting along, her gossip lifeline finally couldn't support her anymore. Sure, every once and a while one would see a boy wearing a scarlet-and-gold scarf going into St. Jude's or a Serena wannabe hanging around the steps of the art museum, but no one could compare to the originals. People eventually stopped reading, and Gossip Girl's mouth finally closed.

There were spats, of course. Chuck and Blair fought over control, Dan and Serena fought over little things, Blair and Serena went into periods of silence after arguments, and Nate and Chuck squabbled over nothing. However, after every fight, they all would realize how much they needed each other and always came back around. It was never anything serious enough for any of them to ruin their love or their friendship.

Often, a New Yorker could spot the entire group of them hanging around in Central Park or coming out of a movie theatre. They always were together on Thursdays in the music room. They were there again on graduation, friends by each other's sides. Four cornered graduation hats of red and navy blue covered the front courtyard. Serena and Blair bawled as they hugged each other and their guys. Chuck and Blair and Dan and Serena were confident that they could keep dating long distance. However, they and Nate wondered how they would do in the real world without having each other to turn to. They realized when they did go out into that real world that they never stopped being there for each other. They were just a little farther apart.

_When you're through with life and all hope is lost, hold out your hand cause friends will be friends, right till' the end." _

_Queen_

Carter Baizen never returned to New York. He went back to school in Chicago, a place where he had frequently visited and enjoyed staying at. He went to a few classes and decided that he could be a successful businessman sans the gambling. His attitude towards life turned anew, and Carter found himself becoming a kinder and content individual. It was almost ironic though, because Carter still became something everyone hated: a tax collector for the IRS. He married a fellow co-worker who shared many of his interests. They had one daughter before his wife passed away in a tragic accident. After counseling, Carter bounced back and tried to be there for his daughter as best as a father can be. He remarried to a woman who happened to be the daughter of one of his father's friends. They had two sons together. The Baizen family lived out their days in a quiet Chicago suburb in complete bliss. Carter never spoke to any of his fellow band members again, but sometimes he would hear of what they had become and wondered what they were up to.

Nate Archibald graduated from St. Jude's with average grades except for chorus, in which subject he received extremely high marks. He dated a few girls throughout his last year of high school, including Jenny Humphrey for a short while. He went to a college in California that specialized in music and the performing arts, despite his father's wishes. He stayed away from Hollywood and any overcrowded places and kept to himself often. Nate graduated with a degree in music, notebooks filled with songs, and the ability to play not only bass guitar and drums but piano, saxophone, and violin. When his teachers sometimes wondered aloud if he was musically gifted, he would reply no and that he was only a determined musician. Nate's first job was writing music for television shows. He was eventually noticed by an agent who asked him to, strangely enough, write songs for a band. He accepted and made much money, though he continued to write music for hit TV shows as well. He sometimes would stay in his room for hours on end, thinking up new pieces. Nate traveled back to New York after graduating college to visit with his old friends Chuck and Dan. While there he ran into Jenny Humphrey at a party Dan was hosting. They began dating once again, and fell in love. Nate proposed to the aspiring fashion designer a year later. After a quick wedding, they moved back to California and raised three blonde-headed sons of their own. Their firstborn boy was named Charles Daniel Humphrey.

_"When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide, where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride, till I get to the bottom and I see you again." _

_The Beatles_

Serena Van Der Woodsen went to NYU, thanks to the money of her stepfather and her good grades of junior and senior year. She majored in broadcast journalism and worked for a few radio stations before becoming a news anchor for NBC News. She earned the nickname "Sunny Serena" because she was constantly happy and always cheered her co-workers up. She used the money she earned to help her brother Eric pay for college. He got a job in counseling, since he had much experience in the field and felt like helping others who were once like him. Serena married her boyfriend Dan two years after graduating college. He had proposed to her with a diamond ring shaped like a circle. He said that a circle was never ending, just like his love for her. Their wedding took place outside in the summer, and was very elaborate with many people and pretty decorations. Rufus and his band reunited to play at the reception, and their gigantic cake was chocolate with white icing. Serena and Dan moved to their own apartment in Brooklyn and had two children, a son named Eric and a daughter named Rosalie.

Dan Humphrey was the Valedictorian of his class, graduating with straight A's. He gave a speech on graduation day, while everyone else listened and cried at his reflective choice of words. Dan went to Dartmouth University and came out with a Bachelor's degree in art. He became an advertising director, though he never stopped writing. He published three poetry books and an autobiography about his teenage years. It included everything from Gossip Girl's stalking to Secret Addictions. The book was a literary hit, and made number one on the New York Times book list. People began approaching him and begged him to write a continuation, for they wanted to know what happened to Chuck and Nate and Serena and everyone else. Dan would just smile and reply that they were alright, and that was all anyone needed to know. When he wasn't working or spending time with his children (who were very polite, caring, and resembled both him and his wife), he was playing his guitar. He often got his poetic inspirations from his music, in vise versa. The members of the Humphrey family remained very close throughout life. It was very awkward, however, when Eric and Rosalie grew up and asked about some things in their father's autobiography. They were never told that their mother slept with their Uncle Nate in high school. When the kids moved out, Dan and Serena stayed in their apartment and kept each other happy the way they had throughout life. While some older couples went on vacation a lot, the Humphrey couple was perfectly content on their living room couch, wrapped in each other's arms. If there was anyone drifting down Moon River, it was Dan and Serena.

_I think about you; honey, all the time my heart says yes. I think about you, deep inside I love you best." _

_Guns N' Roses _

Blair Waldorf graduated from Constance Billard with high grades and entered Yale without a problem. Blair decided to become a fashion merchandiser since she loved to shop and convince people to do things, like buy expensive things. She was going to take her mother's advice and become a designer, but a surprise in Blair's senior year of college made her change her mind. It was the year when Blair discovered she was pregnant for the first time (the result of Chuck's desires and a broken condom). Chuck took Blair out on the night she was going to tell him that she was pregnant. Before she could tell him, he pulled a teardrop-shaped diamond ring out of his pocket and proposed. After accepting and crying and laughing at the irony of the situation, Blair told Chuck the news about the baby. Chuck stayed frozen in shock for an hour afterward. Their wedding took place early in the fall, and Blair took charge of the sophisticated decorations (big bows were hung practically everywhere). Neither Chuck nor Blair were big churchgoers, but they still had the ceremony at St. Patrick's church. It was a large event and covered by every New York newspaper. Nate was the best man, and Serena the maid of honor. Blair's wedding dress was white and flowing, with a lavender ribbon around the stomach that traveled down the trail. She still wore the necklace that Chuck had bought her so many years before. The bridesmaids wore lavender gowns and the guys wore ties to match (except for Chuck, who went dapper in classic black). The reception was lavish, complete with chocolate fountains and every kind of food imaginable. Chuck and Blair's wedding song, the song that only they danced to, was "Nobody Does It Better." They stayed in the Upper East Side and moved into a sumptuous mansion outside the city. Months later their first son, Darren Bartholomew Bass, was born. He was the first of six.

Chuck Bass graduated St. Jude's but didn't go to college. His father arranged for him to be privately trained in business before Chuck took control of the entire Bass enterprise. This included owning the Palace Hotel and Victrola (along with many other structures), corporate shares, New York business chains, and millions of dollars. The training was grueling, demanding work, but Chuck stepped up to the challenge. To his own shock, he was very good at it and caught on right away. His sharp mind and feeling of responsibility led to his father entrusting him with the business at the young age of twenty-two. Bart even seemed to be proud of his son, a thing that Chuck considered a miracle. When Blair announced that she was pregnant on the night of their engagement, Chuck felt like he had another duty to live up to. When Darren was born, Chuck felt for the first time that he had a purpose in life. He thought it was majestic that he and Blair could create something as beautiful as a new human being. He had a newfound appreciation for life, and this led him to become the father that Bart never was. Chuck had a business meeting practically every day, but he found himself attending less and less just to stay home with Blair and Darren. This made his father angry, but there was nothing he could do about it. As Darren grew, Chuck and Blair had five more children, one more boy and four girls. Only three of the children were actually planned, but the parents didn't care. It wasn't like they couldn't afford it, and their kids brought them so much joy. The absence of younger brothers or sisters in Chuck and Blair's lives seemed to be a factor. All six of the children were very beautiful. They all had skin as white as pure snow, and the two sons and three of the daughters had their father's gorgeous eyes. All of their daughters inherited Blair's high cheekbones, but only two got her curly light brown hair. One of their daughters, Serena Anastasia Bass, had her father's straight, soft hair except it was a reddish-brown color. Chuck and Blair figured that was from Eleanor's side of the family.

Chuck never took the long business trips that his father did and was home with his family most of the time. Blair had never seen any man bestow such unconditional love on his kids as Chuck did, and for that she was extremely grateful. The best thing about it for her was that Chuck loved her that same way. She grew older and gained weight, yet he still looked at her like he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He still kissed her the same way, he still playfully teased her, and he still swept her off her feet. He still surprised and astonished her with the things he did. They occasionally went out to dinner alone and just basked in each other's company. They sometimes went to Victrola to reminisce on the past. This would eventually lead to Blair coming to Chuck a few months later with a positive pregnancy test. That was another thing: as Chuck got older, he just got better and better in bed. And he was still there for her whenever she needed him.

_I'd live and I'd die for you, I'd steal the sun from the sky for you. Words can't say what love can do…I'll be there for you." _

_Bon __Jovi_

The children of all of the graduates, with the exception of Nate and Jenny, went to St. Jude's and Constance Billard, and their parents made sure that they stayed out of the trouble that they themselves had gotten into as teenagers. Dan and Serena and their kids visited the mansion of the Basses frequently, so much in fact that Eric and Rosalie grew an addiction to Blair's lemon cookies that she put out every time they visited. The kids all became good friends with one another. All of the children knew about Secret Addictions, but all they could do was listen to their fathers singing on burned CD's. They would never hear it live.

The years went by, the children grew up and moved away to live successful lives, and hair dye became regularly bought. Chuck and Blair shared the same room for fifty-four years of marriage. When Chuck died at the age of seventy-seven, Blair locked the doors to the room and never went back in. She moved to a smaller bedchamber that once belonged to one of her daughters and slept there. In her dreams at night, she would sometimes see a seventeen-year-old Chuck walk into the room. He would give her that genuine smile, and his face would glow almost radiantly. Chuck would walk over to the bed, crawl in next to her, and look down upon her with tender eyes. Blair loved that part in the dream, for it was like he never left. She swore that she could sometimes feel his hand laying on hers, or his slender fingers playing with her hair.

"I never thought you'd miss me, Waldorf," Chuck would say with a smirk. Sometimes he would kiss her softly before fading away. Then Blair would wake up and cry, his face all too vivid in her mind. In other dreams she would be seventeen again, and sitting in the music room with Chuck, Serena, Dan, Nate, and occasionally Carter would appear. Those were Blair's favorite dreams. In them the friends would talk and laugh together and Blair would lay her head on Chuck's lap as he stroked her hair. Often the four guys would stand up and sing, and she and Serena would sing along from their spots on the floor. All of their happy voices rang through the room, lingering in her mind with their laughter.

One time she traveled to the music room and never came back.

And Chuck was waiting there for her, the way he always had.

And she heard those four smooth voices, singing their hit from a passed time.

_"I'__ve left the world behind.__ I'__m safe here in my mind. F__ree to speak with my own kind. __This is my life, this is my life." _

_Judas Priest_

THE END


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